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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27010054">i'm drunk, and i'm in love with you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowjunhwi/pseuds/meowjunhwi'>meowjunhwi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>27k words of me being whipped for junhui and minghao, Alternate Universe, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Idol, Weddings, and other Drunk Shenanigans, drunk marriage, junhao are idiots in love istg, lots of them - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:49:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27010054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowjunhwi/pseuds/meowjunhwi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hansol and Joshua are set to get married in a week so all 11 of them flew in to Los Angeles from Seoul to come and celebrate the union of two of their friends.</p><p>Well, at least that’s the plan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>i'm drunk, and i'm in love with you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HI!! So yes, I am back again with another JunHao, and this is the longest one-shot fic I've made ever. The thought just sprang up on me like, "hey a drunk marriage au would be nice" and ta-da! Here it is lol.</p><p>Basically this is just 27k words of me being whipped for Jun and Minghao, and also me missing Los Angeles a lot :&lt; I based their itinerary off my family's when we went to visit the US last December and I got a bit nostalgic reminiscing our trip while writing this fic. I wish I could've described some of the places even better though! </p><p>I hope you enjoy this fic just as much as I enjoy writing it &lt;3 Pls feel free to leave comments because it really makes me happy to read them and know what you guys think of the fic!! &lt;3 </p><p>ENJOY!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was the seemingly distant sound of something vibrating against something hard and the feeling of it flowing through his thighs. Junhui wakes up with a pounding headache and little recollection of what happened the night before. He remembers beer pong and karaoke and lots of screaming over an intense game of Mario Kart and Just Dance. Seungcheol was worried the neighbors would call the police on them but Joshua reassured him that “Mrs. Lopez is nice and we already gave her a heads up about tonight so don’t worry and loosen up, Cheol.”</p><p>And then there was the alcohol. Lots and lots of it and Junhui remembered drinking more than a few bottles (few being about 5 to 6, the last number he recalled before he lost count) and Minghao, by some miracle was able to leave the wine glass behind and actually throw back some shots of vodka (concocted by none other than Hong Jisoo and Yoon Jeonghan) and a few glasses of whiskey that he shared with Wonwoo.</p><p> </p><p>That was it.</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, all of them were able to fit themselves in the living room of the Hong-Chwe household, a few heads missing underneath the pillows to shield themselves from the offending light of the sun.</p><p>Beside him, Minghao’s head was pillowed on his shoulder, strands of his newly-dyed black hair falling against his eyes and his cheeks, and his lips are slightly parted, soft snores coming out from his mouth and he is slightly drooling on Junhui’s t-shirt.</p><p>Something vibrates in Junhui’s pocket, reminding himself of what woke him up and squinting because of the harsh glare of the lights that does nothing to aid his pounding headache, he reaches for his phone and sees the barrage of notifications on his Instagram and Kakaotalk.</p><p>He opens Kakaotalk first, confusion flooding his mind at the endless wishes of ‘Congratulations!’ and ‘Happy Marriage!’ from friends and work acquaintances alike.</p><p>Just when he was about to reply to Yanan, tell him that, “Aren’t you supposed to be greeting Joshua Hong not me?,” his phone started ringing and he answered it immediately, Ten’s voice heard from the other line.</p><p>“Wen Junhui, you didn’t tell us you’re getting married!” was what greeted him instead of a hello and first, Junhui thinks that it’s too early for Ten to be this energetic and two—</p><p>“What do you mean getting married?” Junhui rasped out, feeling how dry his mouth is because of the alcohol and once again, he wonders just how much he drank last night and <em>maybe I should get up and get some water but Minghao looks so comfortable I don’t want to disturb his sleep especially because he is a light sleeper—</em></p><p>“Your marriage with Minghao, of course!” Junhui could practically hear Ten roll his eyes and he would’ve tuned in more to what he says if he didn’t blank out and honed in on that particular statement:</p><p>
  <em>Your marriage with Minghao, of course!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your marriage with Minghao, of course!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marriage….. Minghao….</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>WHAT?!?!?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“We even had to find out through Instagram!!!! —” Junhui removed the phone from his ear and opened his Instagram, his phone falling once from his grasp at how sweaty his hand had become and hitting him square on the nose making him hiss in pain.</p><p>His Instagram notifications are flooded with thousands of likes and almost a hundred congratulatory comments and when he clicks on one, he sees a series of pictures of him and Minghao— hands held together in front of them, <em>swipe left</em>, a ring being slipped in Minghao’s finger, <em>swipe left</em>, a ring being slipped in Junhui’s finger, <em>swipe left</em>, Junhui leaning forward to place a kiss on the tip of Minghao’s nose, <em>swipe left</em>, Minghao leaning his head on Junhui’s shoulder, his cheeks flushed and mouth set wide in the middle of a giggle fit, <em>end</em>, all of it simply captioned with ring and heart emojis that is most likely Minghao’s idea.</p><p>“Junhui?” Ten’s voice felt distant and Junhui wasn’t able to form a coherent response as he stared at the screen of his phone, thoughts of his hangover forgotten in favor of trying to process the fact that, in the drunken turn of events during the Hong-Chwe bachelor party, he just married his childhood and long-time best friend.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Well, shit.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>As carefully as he could, he slipped out from beside Minghao and thankfully, the younger didn’t stir so much in his sleep, only furrowing his eyebrows at the loss of warmth but quickly smoothing out once Junhui gave him a gentle pat on his head.</p><p>To address the current predicament at hand, Junhui needs coffee to feel even a sliver of life in his veins because he isn’t going to do any kind of thinking with a nasty hang-over.</p><p>He stumbles into the kitchen and finds Joshua sitting on the dining table, cup of coffee in hand and the other massaging his temples. His friend looks up and just stares at Junhui, and he must have seen something on Junhui’s face because he hums and then he stands up, pulls him along, takes his wallet, phone and keys and then both of them were out of the house.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>A simple golden band now sits on Junhui’s ring finger, catching light when he tilts his hand slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“So…” Joshua starts after taking a sip from his coffee, the two of them sitting opposite each other in a booth in McDonalds while waiting for the breakfast that they ordered for takeout.</p><p>“I’m still trying to process…. this,” he gestures to the ring on his finger, trying to believe that what happened was real and was not just a figment of his imagination or a product of his drunken dreams.</p><p>“Do you remember things from last night?” He asks Joshua.</p><p>“Bits and pieces,” Joshua answers, eyebrows coming together in thought, “All I know is that after Hao exchanged wine with vodka and the alcohol got into his system, he was a bit clingier towards you, more than usual, and then there was the karaoke. And then the two of you singing, and then the next thing I knew we were like walking down the streets or something and Mingyu came back with a box of gold rings and… that’s it.”</p><p>Junhui just stares at the blurred reflection of his face on the dark liquid in his cup, trying to think on how to handle this situation and on how Minghao would react when he wakes up and finds out.</p><p>Their orders arrive and Joshua nudges him, the two of them standing up and leaving with breakfast in hand, Junhui’s thought seemingly far away as they drive back to the house.</p><p>If Joshua took a longer route on the way back, then none of them mentions it and in the back of Junhui’s anxiety-ridden mind, he silently thanks Joshua.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Contrary to how Junhui thought Minghao would react, the other Chinese man was just calm. Or maybe it was the hang-over that’s still stopping him from going on a long rant about alcohol and its downside effects on logic and reason, pacing back and forth while running a hand through his hair.</p><p>When they arrived back at Joshua and Hansol’s house, Minghao had already moved from the floor to the couch, his hood pulled up and a pair of dark-tinted shades shielding his eyes from the glare of the light.</p><p>“You weren’t there when I woke up,” he mumbles sleepily when Junhui handed him his breakfast and sits beside him on the couch and Junhui freezes up slightly before answering, “Joshua and I went for a breakfast run since it’s the two of us who got up first and we’re both too lazy to cook anyway.”</p><p>Minghao just nods slowly, then focuses on finishing his breakfast.</p><p>Junhui pretends he doesn’t see the matching golden band wrapped around Minghao’s ring finger, glinting when the sunlight hits it every time Minghao lifts his hand up, taunting Junhui and making him look away.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Joshua and Hansol rented two vans for the week so they could take everyone on a drive around Los Angeles while they’re here since, according to Joshua, “it is not everyday that you have your friends come from halfway across the world and visit your childhood neighborhood.”</p><p>They decided to take it easy that day, as some of them still feel the consequences of their drunken antics from the night before, yet that wasn’t enough to hamper the excitement that buzzes through each and everyone of them.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Wonwoo asks when he sits beside Junhui on the backseat of the car that Joshua will be driving.</p><p>“Yeah,” Junhui nods once. Wonwoo just stares at him, unbelieving, but decided not to pry. Junhui pretends he doesn’t see Wonwoo throw a short look at the ring on his finger, instead he looks out the window and leans his head against the headrest.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>They divided themselves into small groups, Junhui ending up with Minghao, Wonwoo and Mingyu, and the four of them entered a bookshop nestled in one of the streets in downtown Los Angeles.</p><p>Lines and lines and lines of bookshelves occupied the floorspace of the bookshop. In the side, a wooden staircase leads up to the second floor, where you can see everything in its entirety and Junhui, who was leaning against the railing beside Minghao, just marvels at the sight of a million stories below them, waiting to be unraveled by curious hands and wandering minds.</p><p>Minghao takes pictures, because he always does— a token to keep, a memory to treasure. Then he walks further, and Junhui follows behind him.</p><p>In a small trinket shop— with bookmarks and other stationery materials; with old maps of lost civilizations and vintage cameras that Minghao longingly looks at, thinking twice whether he will buy one or not.</p><p>Through the narrow hallway, where paintings hang on the wall— lyrics taken out from sheet music captioned below and above and at the side; a typewriter sitting on a desk right next to an entrance to another world, a long parchment springing out filled with words spilling forth from an author’s creative mind.</p><p>In another section filled with books of different genres, bookshelves arranged like a wounding maze and at every turn is a new story, a new character.</p><p>A pathway is designed like this— a bookshelf filled to the brim with books acting as a tunnel and Minghao tugs at Junhui’s sleeve, “Take a picture of me there,” he says and so Junhui obliges, takes shot after shot after shot while Minghao poses in every way he wants.</p><p>Then he takes the phone and says, “I’ll take your photo too,” so Junhui stands in front of the camera, wacky and cool poses at the ready.</p><p>“Okay, that’s enough,” Minghao pockets his phone and takes Junhui by the hand, pulling him inside a small room that looks very much like a crossover of an interrogation booth and a prison cell, lined with mystery books and horror-thriller sagas.</p><p>Minghao doesn’t let go of his hand.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>They walked around and ate LA street hotdogs, Mingyu and Junhui moaning at the explosion of spices on their taste buds that they insisted on buying another one.</p><p>Minghao takes a bit from Junhui’s sandwich, humming and giving Junhui a thumbs up because really, it tastes <em>good, </em>and there’s ketchup on the side of Minghao’s lips that Junhui instinctively wipes away with his thumb.</p><p>The action causes both of them to freeze, before Junhui pulls his hand back and continues eating what’s left of his sandwich while Minghao drinks a mouthful of water.</p><p>Junhui doesn’t miss the slight pinkish tint coloring the tips of Minghao’s ears.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The road back to the parking lot where they all agreed to meet was steep and it only takes a few minutes for the four of them to feel it in their thighs.</p><p>Junhui walks in front with Mingyu, Wonwoo and Minghao trailing behind them slowly with their bags of books hanging on their wrists, hands tucked in their pockets.</p><p>Feeling playful, Junhui waits for Minghao and when the other reaches him, Junhui kneels in front of him and tells him to hop on.</p><p>Minghao says no at first but Junhui is nothing but persistent so they end up climbing uphill with Minghao on Junhui’s back, giggling into his shoulder while Junhui jogs about ten steps before he slows into a walk.</p><p>Junhui feels Minghao sliding down his back so he hefts him up and continues walking. Minghao’s hand dangles in front of him and from his peripheral vision, he can see the golden band on his finger, matching the one on Junhui’s own.</p><p>Minghao hums a song under his breath. In front of them the sun slowly starts to set.</p><p>Junhui takes a deep breath and the golden ring doesn’t seem as daunting as it was the first time he saw it.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The thing is Junhui doesn’t really mind getting married to Minghao.</p><p>In actuality, if given the chance (and if only he was brave enough), he would’ve confessed long ago— back in college, senior year, when he realized, <em>Oh, I’m in love with my best friend haha well fuck.</em></p><p>What he minds is that: 1) Minghao doesn’t really feel the same; and 2) They were drunk. And if Junhui is going to marry Minghao (hypothetically) and spend their lives together in a house by the beach with a dog and a cat, he wants to do it the right way.</p><p>“Didn’t the two of you promise to get married by the age of 30 if you two are still single by then?” Wonwoo kindly reminds him while they were sitting side by side on the swing set in the playground in Joshua’s neighborhood, a cat comfortably settled on Wonwoo’s lap.</p><p>Junhui spluttered, cheeks flushing making Wonwoo grin at him in pure amusement.</p><p>“That was like, when we were in second year college! And it was a drunken promise! I don’t think he even remembers that. And, and.. How did you even know about that?”</p><p>Wonwoo rolls his eyes with a huff, “All of us were on a video call while drinking cheap beer and vodka because we can’t meet up due to the fact that all of us are physically and mentally too exhausted to even go out of our dorm rooms. And I doubt Minghao will forget that. He was tipsy but not an amnesiac. And he takes the promises he makes to heart.”</p><p>Junhui sighs in defeat, knowing that what Wonwoo said is right.</p><p>They stay quiet, slightly rocking back and forth and hearing the squeaks of the rusty metal against metal as they move.</p><p>Junhui’s heart was riddled with anxiety and the years-long worth of feelings that he tightly kept in wraps in the hopes that it won’t overflow and affect the peaceful stability of a relationship he had built with Minghao over the years.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Junhui was the first one to come back to their rented AirBnB room and Minghao arrived half an hour later.</p><p>They watched Netflix in silence, the words needed to form the conversation about their unusual drunken endeavor left unsaid, Junhui’s mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish.</p><p>When it is time for bed, Minghao reaches for the remote and turns the television off.</p><p>Then both of them slip under the cover in the single queen-sized bed, Minghao snuggling closer to Junhui and burying his face on the crook of his neck while Junhui wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him close, holds him as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.</p><p>And with Minghao, it feels like everything else is.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The dreaded conversation about their unplanned marriage comes during their barbeque dinner in the backyard of the Hong-Chwe household.</p><p>Bottles of soju were placed on the table and Seungcheol’s warning was fairly innocent, “Careful not to drink too much will you guys? We’re driving to San Francisco tomorrow.”</p><p>But then, Seokmin adds, “Or we’d all be having another unplanned marriage to attend to later on,” with a snicker but a heavy silence fills the atmosphere and he stops abruptly, clearing his throat when he senses the change.</p><p>Joshua and Jeonghan, bless their souls, arrives with two plates full of cooked meat and then everyone was back to being noisy and excited once again as they picked up slices of pork with their chopsticks, wrapping them neatly in a lettuce together with kimchi and wolfing them down along with mouthfuls of rice.</p><p>The whole night, even as they sat together, Junhui and Minghao didn’t share a word nor did they touch a glass of alcohol.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Dinner plates empty and soju bottles drained, everyone heads inside except for Junhui and Minghao, who both volunteered to clean up.</p><p>It was silent except for the sounds of garbage bags rustling and paper cups being crushed and plastic utensils getting broken. Muffled voices of their friends could be heard from the house— Soonyoung exclaiming dibs on one of the controllers, Seokmin on another and Chan and Seungkwan fighting for the last one.</p><p> </p><p>“So..”</p><p> </p><p>“So..”</p><p> </p><p>They speak up at the same time, the already awkward atmosphere becoming more awkward, and they just stare at each other before Minghao clears his throat and gestures for Junhui to go first.</p><p>Junhui was about to protest, ask Minghao to go first, that he doesn’t mind, but he reminds himself that now is not the time to chicken out, to just outright ask Minghao what they want to do with the situation they’re in.</p><p>(Thinking about it, it looks like they’re a serious couple discussing a failing marriage and are therefore on the brink of what may be a divorce but the thing is they are not even a couple and their marriage isn’t exactly a planned marriage where both sides talked about it and jumped on it 200% sure.)</p><p>Junhui puts the paper plates down as they finally have this conversation (that they should have had two days ago) and he looks at Minghao straight in the eyes, takes a deep breath and asks, “What are we going to do?”</p><p>Minghao is just silent at first, long enough to make Junhui shuffle on his feet with his confidence slowly melting away and making him want to run and hide and probably not look at Minghao for a while.</p><p>But then Minghao answers Junhui’s question with another question, his words straight to the point and without missing a beat, “Does it bother you that you’re married with me?”</p><p>Junhui doesn’t even think twice as he shakes his head, “It doesn’t.”</p><p>“Then, it’s cool.”</p><p>“Cool?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Minghao, we’re married,” Junhui says incredulously, the situation feeling even more real now that Junhui had said it out loud.</p><p>“Yes, we are,” Minghao replies matter-of-factly and Junhui sighs.</p><p>Minghao seems to pick up on his slight distress and confusion, so he pulls him to sit down, “Look, I don’t mind being married to you. You’re single, I’m single. And we practically spent our whole lives with each other up to this point, what’s a few more years into the future?”</p><p>Junhui just looks at him and <em>wow, he sounds so passionate about being married with me. </em>And the thing is, Xu Minghao always puts his heart into what it is that he does— and now he is putting his all into being Junhui’s husband.</p><p>(<em>Husband!!!! </em>Junhui internally screams)</p><p>“Besides, you promise me you’d marry me when we’re still single at the age of 30.” Junhui was shocked when that was brought out, and <em>yeah okay, Wonwoo you win alright?</em></p><p>“Technically, I’m still 29 and you’re still 28,” Junhui points out but the argument feels weak at this point.</p><p>Minghao just shrugs, “Doesn’t change my stand on this.”</p><p>Junhui mulls it over, pursing his lips in thought while Minghao sits in front of him, patiently waiting for his answer while his thumb draws calming circles on Junhui’s wrist.</p><p>“So, you’re my husband now?” Junhui tries tentatively and Minghao perks up slightly that if Junhui doesn’t know him well enough, he’d miss the sparkle in his eyes and the way his tensed shoulders relaxed.</p><p>“Yeah, technically.”</p><p>“Cool.”</p><p>“Cool.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>“So, should we be expecting a divorce or some sort of relationship break up?” Wonwoo asks when Junhui sits down next to him on the couch after he and Minghao finish cleaning the tables outside.</p><p>Minghao, for his part, goes straight to Hansol and takes the controller, looking set on defeating Jeonghan in Mario Kart tonight.</p><p>“Nah,” Junhui answers casually, plucking the can of beer from Wonwoo’s hand and taking a sip, making the other man look at him unamused.</p><p>“You’re staying as husbands? That’s it?”</p><p>“Yes, we’re husbands and that’s it.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Doesn’t it bother you that we got married when we’re drunk?” Junhui asks while they pack a few clothes in their shared duffel bag, enough for their two-night stay in San Francisco.</p><p>“Nope,” Minghao punctuates his answer with a pop of the last consonant of the word. He raises two black shirts in front of Junhui— one long-sleeved mesh shirt and one silk long sleeve, “Which one?”</p><p>“The silk one. I brought the white with me,” Junhui chooses and Minghao returns the mesh shirt inside their temporary cabinet and throws the silk long sleeves on the bed where Junhui is sitting while putting their clothes in the bag.</p><p>“Besides,” Minghao continues as he arranges their outfits for tomorrow in their respective hangers, “we’ve done way more regretful and embarrassing things before. Getting married with you isn’t one of them.”</p><p>Junhui hums, accepting his answer and just watches as Minghao’s brows furrow in thought as he looks over their clothes and then back at Junhui and then at their clothes once again, and Junhui just knows he is in his “coordinating mode” again so he lets him be, smiling to himself when Minghao mutters a soft, “aha,” and looking very satisfied with himself and with the job he had done.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The drive to San Francisco was almost 6 hours long and when they arrived, they agreed to check in their hotel first before getting lunch and going to the Golden Gate Park.</p><p>They made sure to check out the different viewpoints of the Golden Gate bridge— one below, just along the sea walls of San Francisco Bay and the waves hit harshly against the cement; one on eye-level where they spent the littlest amount of time before they were all boarding their vehicles to drive up to the third level where they hiked up a small hill, overlooking the bridge and at night, Joshua says, it looks even more beautiful because of the lights, so they agreed to come back later when the sun has long set and the moon hangs high on the sky.</p><p>The last stop before dinner was the Golden Gate Park, where the bridge’s history was told in large plaques standing side by side; a gift shop sitting in the middle where they take a look and ended up buying a few postcards, mugs and magnets to hang on their refrigerators and gift back to their parents at home.</p><p>Hansol invites all of them to walk with him across the Golden Gate bridge and everyone excitedly answers with a “Yes!” only to go back when they’re barely an eighth of the whole length because it is basically a hanging bridge, with fast cars zooming past on one side and a body of water with strong waves on the other.</p><p>Junhui continues walking behind Hansol and Joshua, intent on getting the job done, when he feels a hand grip his arm.</p><p>He turns and sees Minghao, eyes firmly set in front of them and face betraying nothing but determination. The only thing giving his fear away was the tight hold he had on Junhui’s arm.</p><p>Junhui takes his hand out of the pocket of his coat and holds Minghao’s hand before he pulls him along, walking more slowly this time.</p><p>They reach the middle, where Minghao hesitantly pulls his hand out of Junhui’s grip to take a photo of the arch, but Junhui instead wraps an arm around Minghao’s waist— an assurance that with him there, Minghao will be safe and that there will be no need to fear falling because Junhui is there to catch him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Hands occupied with pizza boxes and arms filled with paper bags containing utensils, tissues, packets of hot sauce and ketchup, and tupperwares of vegetable salad, the 13 of them headed toward one of the parks just under San Francisco Bridge.</p><p>The few tables and chairs were pulled together and their food was placed on top. Hands clasped together in thanks for the meal and then they’re all eating quietly, before a conversation breaks out about the plans tomorrow before they drive back to Los Angeles the next day to prepare for Joshua and Hansol’s wedding.</p><p>The spring breeze blows and it feels cold on their exposed skin. Even nearing summer, the weather is still a bit cold, making Junhui snuggle closer to Minghao, a fleece blanket thrown over their shoulders. He gets cold easily, which was why Minghao insisted that they bring the blanket with them and he could’ve kissed him right now because he is damn right.</p><p>When Minghao was done eating, he casually lays his head on Junhui’s shoulder as Junhui continued to eat his slice of cheese-flavored pizza topped with an unhealthy amount of hot sauce.</p><p>“Tired?” Junhui asks in a soft voice, almost muffled amidst the loud and exuberant voices of his friends.</p><p>Minghao hums and shuffles closer, as if they weren’t already pressed to each other from shoulders to knees, “It’s a long day and we haven’t really rested after arriving here.”</p><p>With his clean hand, Junhui reaches over and ruffles Minghao’s hair, feeling the soft strands in between his finger tips. Minghao whines at the action but does nothing to stop Junhui.</p><p>“We just have one last stop for ice cream and coffee, Xiao Hao, and then you can get the sleep you’ve been wanting to have.”</p><p>“Do I get the whole bed to myself?”</p><p>Junhui snorts, taking a bite from his pizza before answering, “No, you’re going to have to fight me before you do.”</p><p>“I’ll just kick you off, then.”</p><p>“Don’t poke me with your bony legs, Hao.”</p><p>“I’m going to throw you in the river,” Minghao threatens emptily and Junhui laughs, imagining clearly the expression on Minghao’s face right now, obscured slightly by the dark and the fact that Junhui couldn’t really turn his head to look at him if he didn’t want to jostle Minghao’s comfortable position.</p><p>“Isn’t it too early for you to be a widow?”</p><p>“Fine, maybe I wouldn’t let you drown just for the sake that we could go back home to China and Yangyang would still have his older brother intact,” Minghao reconsiders.</p><p>“Just say you won’t want to lose me too early, Haohao,” Junhui says brightly, around a mouthful of pizza.</p><p>He hears Minghao click his tongue and then the younger reaches for a tissue, wiping the side of Junhui’s lips and reprimanding him, “Why are you such a messy eater.”</p><p>Junhui feels his cheeks heat up and is thankful that it is dim so the flush in his cheeks isn’t that obvious, but with the way Minghao is so focused on his face right now, he might’ve noticed it already.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t it be nice if you two have like cute married couple nicknames to call each other?” Seokmin suggests while the three of them stand by the car, waiting for the others to finish paying for their drinks and ice cream inside the crowded cafe.</p><p>It was amazing how their friends just treated the marriage as casually as Junhui and Minghao did, no longer stepping on eggshells around them like they did the day after the unplanned event and memories of the night before slowly resurfaced in their sobered minds.</p><p>“Like?” Minghao asks, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Seokmin shrugs, taking a teaspoonful of ice cream into his mouth before replying, “Honeybunch? Darling? Sugarplum? Sweetheart?”</p><p>“No,” Minghao says firmly and Junhui playfully pipes up, “I don’t know, Hao. I kinda like it.”</p><p>“Call me Darling and I’m going to throttle you,” Minghao threatens emptily which just made Junhui even more enthusiastic in teasing him.</p><p>“How about Sweetheart then?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Cupcake?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Aw, come on. Sweetiepie?”</p><p>“No, and nothing in the Strawberry Shortcake song will make me say yes, Junhui.”</p><p>Junhui pouts, “Fine,” then purses his lips in thought, “How about Babe?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Baby? Baobei?”</p><p>Underneath the brightly lit side streets of San Francisco, Junhui could clearly see how the tips of Minghao’s ears turned a shade of pink and he grinned triumphantly.</p><p>“Alright, Baobei it is.”</p><p>Minghao only groans, telling him to shut up when his cheeks start to color as well.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The alarm blares in the early quiet morning. Curtains are drawn close to block the sunlight, blanketing the room in darkness disturbed only by the light emitted from the phone on the bedside table.</p><p>Junhui wakes up and reaches over to turn off the alarm, taking a peek on the time through squinted eyes.</p><p>
  <em>5:45AM</em>
</p><p>Everyone agreed last night to meet at around 7AM so they can get to the harbor at 8AM, just in time for their tour in the small island of Alcatraz.</p><p>Even with the tempting softness of the cotton sheets under him, luring him to close his eyes and get some more sleep, Junhui turns the night lamp on for a semblance of light and turns to his side where only Minghao’s tuft of black hair could be seen, the rest of him hidden underneath the thick comforter.</p><p>“Minghao,” he shakes him gently by the shoulder and is only answered by a groan.</p><p>“It’s time to wake up,” Junhui continues. The muffled sound of the bathroom ventilator buzzes to life and Junhui takes a guess that Mingyu must be up now and getting ready as well.</p><p>“Come on, Xiao Hao. You can take a bath first before Wonwoo and I so you can sneak a few minutes more of a nap before we head out. I’ll lay your outfit out for you,” Minghao peeks from under the covers through heavy-lidded eyes, bringing a hand up to rub the sleep out but ending up closing them once again as he snuggled comfortably in the covers.</p><p>Knowing that Minghao is somehow awake but would most likely go back to sleep in a few moments, Junhui slipped out from the bed and turned the lights on, making Minghao hiss at the sudden brightness and covering himself with the pillow.</p><p>“Junhui!”</p><p>“Come on, baby. Time to wake up and get moving!” Junhui declares jovially with a grin on his face. Minghao sits up slightly and glares at him but well, at least he is really awake now.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Drying his hair with a towel, Junhui enters his shared room with Minghao and finds the other lying down on the bed, asleep with his towel placed underneath his still wet hair.</p><p>Junhui sighs fondly and moves to wake Minghao up again, letting the younger lean against him while he continues his nap as Junhui dries his hair.</p><p>“Do you want me to get you anything from the lobby? Just something to fill you up before we get a proper meal,” Junhui asks him quietly.</p><p>Minghao hums contemplatively, his response slow as he is still battling with the remains of sleep, “A cup of tea and maybe two breads? I’ll leave the choice of which variety up to you.”</p><p>Junhui nods, “Alright,” then he presses a kiss on Minghao’s temple as he helps him lie down comfortably on the bed, collecting both of their towels in his arms and hanging them on the cabinet.</p><p>“I’m going to go get some light breakfast from the lobby,” he tells Mingyu as he steps out in the common area of their hotel room, “do you and Wonwoo want me to get you anything?”</p><p>“It’s okay, hyung. Wonwoo will be done in a while, we’ll just get the food ourselves,” Mingyu tells him and Junhui just nods, taking a keycard and exits, the cold morning air of San Francisco greeting him as he leaves the warmth of their little cottage-like accommodation.</p><p>He heads to the separate house where the reception and main lobby is located, greeting the receptionist with a soft “good morning” before taking a plate in his hand and filling it up with croissants and biscuits. Then he goes to make his coffee and Minghao’s tea, placing everything in a tray that the receptionist kindly gave him before making his way back to Minghao, passing by Joshua and Seungcheol on the way and greeting them “good morning,” too.</p><p>When he arrives back to their hotel room, Mingyu and Wonwoo were just about to go out while Minghao already made the transfer from their bed to the cushioned chair in the main area, already wearing the pink blazer that Junhui laid out for him yet his hair is still in its fluffed up state from lying on the bed. He was leaning  against the wall with his eyes closed, but slowly opened them as Junhui approached, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he let out a yawn.</p><p>They ate in silence, Minghao not yet fully awake to hold a conversation while Junhui scrolled through his phone. After they’re done, they leave the plates and cups in a neat pile in the center of the table and start to gather their belongings, all essentials stored in Junhui’s bag while Minghao lets his camera hang on his neck.</p><p>Once they were sure that everything they will be needing for the whole day is with them, they left the room and locked the door behind them before going over to stand with their friends who are almost ready to go, save for Soonyoung and Seungkwan who are both rushing to get some croissants and milk bread from the lobby before leaving.</p><p>When all 13 of them were complete, Joshua and Hansol ran through to them the itinerary for the day.</p><p>While listening, Junhui leans against Minghao, his chin hooked on his shoulder while watching the younger sift through the pictures he had taken for the past few days.</p><p>One particular shot captured Junhui’s attention— that of him and Minghao during dinner last night, Minghao leaning against him and Junhui turned a bit towards him, the two of them caught in a laughter and seemingly in their own world.</p><p>It must be when Hansol asked to borrow Minghao’s camera and ended up in Joshua’s hands (because Joshua was the one who returned it last night as they were leaving, Junhui remembers), the two of them unaware that their whole moment was being documented from the eyes of another. And Junhui wonders if that’s how they look from other people, from their friends.</p><p>Before he could say something, Joshua claps his hands twice signalling that they will be leaving and Junhui stands straight, heading for the van that Hansol will be driving, Minghao walking next to him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Alcatraz is brimming with an atmosphere filled with a mixture of eeriness and curious excitement.</p><p>Headphones plugged in and the audio guide set to their chosen languages (Chinese for both Minghao and Junhui), they were already set on spending the whole morning in the island, learning in person about the history of the infamous Alcatraz Prison which they had only ever watched in documentary films.</p><p>Junhui follows closely behind Minghao, the two of them sticking together, though sometimes Junhui would turn around and Minghao would be gone, only for him to take a turn or two and find him in another section of the prison, either alone or with Mingyu, Wonwoo or Hansol.</p><p>Just like the Alcatraz, Junhui had visited countless number of museums with Minghao in the past, sometimes with their friends or sometimes just the two of them. He finds it amusing how Minghao gets excited at the thought of coming to one, how his eyes lit up ever so slightly with anticipation and joy. Even now, Junhui knows Minghao is enjoying the tour, even as his face looks so serious and doesn't betray anything else.</p><p>He remembers the first time they visited a museum— an art one at that— back in Anshan. Minghao’s eyes wide and bright with curiosity and excitement; mouth agape as he stared at the framed displays. The very moment when the passion for art, and for history and for learning in general, taking root in Minghao’s heart.</p><p>Minghao would pull him along during summer breaks to visit different museums, even going to another city with their families just to do so. During college, he started to bond with Wonwoo, Mingyu, Hansol and Joshua about their shared interest in visiting museums and they started to go together. Yet, Junhui would always be the one he asks first if he would like to come, and if Junhui isn't available that day because college is a bitch sometimes and requirements are university oceans that drown you even if you know how to swim, Minghao would come back with Chinese take-out, pull Junhui to sit down with him on the floor and tell him what happened that day, showing him pictures of the things he had found the most interesting in the museum he had visited. Junhui listens attentively. He loves listening to Minghao, loves hearing his voice and all the emotions laced in his poetically-worded sentences.</p><p>Junhui came to learn that Xu Minghao is a burning ball of passion, his flames only getting brighter and brighter as the days and as the years had passed. Though sometimes it dims, the stress and the exhaustion taking its toll on him, but every time, Junhui was there for him. To listen, to give advice and to hold him, just as he had always been doing. To hand him the fuel that would ignite him once again, make him shine like the star that he is born to be.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>As the sun was setting, they decided to visit the Palace of Fine Arts before heading over to the day’s last stop which is Union Square and dinner at the Fishermen's Wharf.</p><p>An open rotunda sits in the middle, enclosed by a lagoon on one side and the exhibition centre on the other.</p><p>Orange lights started to fill the pathway as they walked, day changing into night, and Minghao paused to take a picture of the rotunda and its glistening almost-golden reflection on the dark waters.</p><p>After he was satisfied with his shot, he walked over to Junhui, who was patiently waiting for him, and held his hand then they continued on to the rotunda itself where the majority of their group were already in.</p><p>Junhui knows little about architecture, but he knows that the rotunda they were standing at is exceptional, and he admires the spirals on the ceiling, all heads raised to look at them and take photos.</p><p>Minghao gapes and he takes a deep breath. He smiles, takes his camera and captures photo after photo.</p><p>Junhui wanders around, helps Jeonghan and Soonyoung take pictures of themselves and then getting his photos taken after.</p><p>Before they leave, Mingyu gathers everyone. He sets his camera down on the ground in the middlemost part then gestures for everyone to form a circle around the camera. He sets the timer, all of them huddling over and heads pressed against each other.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>3, 2, 1. Snap!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Some people get married here,” Joshua shares as they start to walk back to the car. He and Minghao are walking at a leisurely pace, Junhui and Hansol following behind.</p><p>Minghao hums, “Getting married here kind of looks like something from a fantastical romance movie.”</p><p>Joshua chuckles, softly bumping his shoulder against the other, “You’re such a romantic, Minghao.”</p><p>“I’d say romance is dead, but singing your heart out about marrying someone and proceeding to actually marry them after, even if it was all unplanned and a last-minute decision, is kind of romantic in its own way.”</p><p>“That seems oddly specific,” Joshua throws a quick glance over his shoulder, eyes meeting Junhui’s before returning his attention to Minghao who merely just shrugged and offered no other response until they were inside the car.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The tram-like cable car steadily climbs uphill the streets of San Francisco.</p><p>At the back, and standing outside the tram, were Soonyoung, Seokmin and Seungkwan, singing along loudly with the music playing on Soonyoung’s phone (Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely, because <em>I’m feeling very jazz today, so let’s get into the mood,</em> Soonyoung says as he picks the song).</p><p>Everyone in the tram is enjoying the little musical number, their friends and the strangers alike. Some were singing along, like Seungcheol and Joshua. Junhui hums the beat softly under his breath.</p><p>Beside him, Minghao takes pictures— of the three men singing and filling the streets of San Francisco with their wonderfully harmonized voices; of Jeonghan, leaning his whole weight against Seungcheol, but despite the exhaustion in his form, he looks so happy to be able to spend this short vacation with his closest friends; of Wonwoo and Mingyu, both admiring the peaceful-but-also-not streets, lights filling up the darkness; of Chan and Jihoon, swaying along to the beat of the song and getting ready to play the next one as they scrolled in Soonyoung’s phone; of Hansol and Joshua, who just looked so relaxed and content with one another, hands clasped on Hansol’s lap, a kiss shared followed by a loving smile.</p><p>Junhui takes the camera from Minghao, the latter looking at him in confusion.</p><p>“You keep taking pictures of others so I’m going to take yours,” Junhui explains as he brings the camera up to his eyes.</p><p>Minghao was about to complain, the words already about to leave his mouth but Junhui grins, tells him, “Smile, Baobei.”</p><p>A small crescent on his cheek, lips pursed in a smile, eyes gleaming in the darkness, raven-black strands falling against cheeks.</p><p>Junhui takes the shot.</p><p>
  <em>Beautiful.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The days after they returned from San Francisco and leading up to Joshua and Hansol’s wedding were spent doing last minute check-ups to make sure nothing would be amiss once the day comes.</p><p>They all agreed to transfer to the hotel where Joshua and Hansol are set to have their reception after the ceremony, mostly for the reason that they wouldn't have a hard time going back to their respective AirBnBs because they were too drunk to do so.</p><p>They booked for two suite rooms, one for Hansol and another for Joshua because, by custom, they shouldn’t be seeing each other the day before the wedding.</p><p>Junhui was in Joshua’s suite together with Jeonghan, Seungcheol, Jihoon, Wonwoo and Soonyoung while Minghao was in Hansol’s along with the others.</p><p>Minghao texted him that they will go driving around and then maybe eat dinner, while Junhui’s group elected to stay in and have a movie marathon, ordering food service from the hotel and popping open their snacks and maybe a bottle of wine because they are too lazy to go out and Joshua doesn’t really feel up to driving at the moment.</p><p>“Enjoy,” Minghao texts him when Junhui informs him of their plans and Junhui replies, “You too, take care and have fun!”</p><p>Dinner plates emptied, bags of chips opened, glasses filled with dark red liquid and into their fourth movie for the night, Jeonghan raises a question directed towards Junhui that made everyone turn to him, eyes leaving the brightly-lit television screen.</p><p>“So, how is your marriage with Minghao? You two seemed awfully closer than you originally were.”</p><p>Soonyoung grabs the remote and lowers the volume, and with Junhui not being used to the attention placed on him, he tries to divert it to Joshua, asking, “Shouldn’t we all be paying attention to Joshua because he is the one getting married?”</p><p>Joshua just shrugs, munching on his chips before answering, “I’d be getting enough of that tomorrow. Besides, I’m curious as to how you two decided that you will stay married, even though you did it in a rather… unexpected manner and timing, I guess.”</p><p>Seungcheol nods in agreement, “Minghao would be the last one I expect to make a huge and sudden decision like getting married while drunk, but well we haven’t actually seen lots of episodes of Minghao being drunk.”</p><p>“I have,” Joshua says with a raised hand. Junhui turns his head to look at him, “Is that when…?”</p><p>“Yeah. He agreed to doing it with us beforehand, so don’t worry. Hansol and I wouldn’t do something that he is uncomfortable with. The alcohol is just for a bit of courage but he ended up drinking the one with the highest content in Hansol’s stash.”</p><p>Junhui nodded while everyone else just blankly stared at the two of them until Jihoon spoke up, “Do any of you two care to explain?”</p><p>“Minghao slept with Hansol and Joshua back in college,” Junhui helpfully informs them, and they all nod when the realization settles.</p><p>“Anyway,” Joshua turns his attention back to Junhui again and so did everyone, making Junhui realize that he won't be getting away anytime soon because even Wonwoo has his full attention on him as well, “How did you two agree on being husbands?”</p><p>“Well,” Junhui rubs at his nape as he tries to string the words together and not ramble, making his words unclear due to his nerves, as he remembered the events of that night, “He asked me if I minded being married to him, and truthfully I really don’t so I decided to be honest and answered him that. And turns out he felt the same way and, as he said from when we talked about it, we promised to get married when we’re single and 30 anyway.”</p><p>“I told you he remembers that,” Wonwoo tells him with a smirk and Junhui just covers his face when he feels the flush coming up. Soonyoung whistles low, commenting that, “Minghao is surely brave, huh.”</p><p>“Well, you’ve been in love with him for years,” Jihoon declares, the words of protest dying before it leaves Junhui’s mouth because he can’t really deny the truth of his statement. “I’m surprised you kept it for this long. It’s been what? Almost 8 years since you crashed into Soonyoung and I’s dorm room at like, 10pm on an exam day, wide-eyed and muttering that you are in fact in love with your best friend.”</p><p>“Now that both of you are technically husbands, do you plan on saying something about your feelings?” Jeonghan asks him this time and even with the amount of thinking that Junhui had been doing the past few days regarding his confession, all he gave Jeonghan for an answer was a shrug of his shoulders, a troubled expression in his face.</p><p>It was easier to be silent about it, to bask in Minghao’s attention and affection even though it does things to his heart whenever Minghao holds his hand or looks at him fondly. It was easier to just settle in their natural dynamics, even as they jumped from being best friends to being husbands, to tease Minghao and have the other sigh exasperatedly at him with a hint of smile pulling at his lips. It was easier than putting out a confession, that he is in love with Xu Minghao for seven years now and counting, afraid of how Minghao would take it.</p><p>“You know,” Seungcheol starts gently, “Just because he’s married with you doesn’t mean you get the reassurance that he wouldn’t run off when he falls in love with another person.”</p><p>Joshua hits him lightly on the shoulder, causing Seungcheol to turn to him and say, “What? I’m just being realistic here.”</p><p>Junhui knows that, and he knows as well that Seungcheol is just concerned and looking out for him. He <em>should</em> confess, but just the thought of doing so scares him enough for him to chicken out.</p><p>The thought of Minghao removing their wedding ring from his finger and declaring that he found someone else he’d want to spend the rest of his life with, however, scares him more.</p><p>Junhui grips his phone tight in his hand, and he feels Wonwoo place an arm around him, a comforting squeeze on his shoulder.</p><p>“I have an idea,” Joshua announces, all of them looking at him to hear him out, “You and Minghao should come with us to Las Vegas.”</p><p>“I don’t want to impose more. Las Vegas is like, way out of the initially planned itinerary,” Junhui immediately answers, making Joshua roll his eyes, “You’re not. Technically, I invited you. And Hansol mentioned that Minghao wanted to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona, so I thought, why not? You’d be staying a week more than everybody else and there are a lot more to see outside California, anyway. Might as well enjoy it.”</p><p>Junhui mulled over the offer. He does remember Minghao mentioning that he wanted to go and see the Grand Canyon and Junhui telling him that they could go if they could spare some time after the wedding since it is not very often that you get to travel to a country from across the world.</p><p>It’s not often as well that they could take leave from work this long and it was a stroke of luck that made their boss agree to give them an almost three-week leave. In fact, it was Yixing himself who insisted they take a longer vacation and well, Junhui and Minghao aren’t fools to say no to their boss’ kind and generous offer.</p><p>Besides, they’ve wanted to travel outside Korea for a while now, might as well use the opportunity that Yixing had so graciously gave them.</p><p>He looks at Joshua who is waiting for his answer, and at the rest of his friends who nods at him encouragingly, telling him to go for it.</p><p>And he does.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll go.”</p><p>“Perfect,” Joshua smiled approvingly before grabbing his phone to presumably text Hansol.</p><p>They went back to watching movies not long after, a debate suddenly erupting between Soonyoung and Jeonghan about being Team Edward or Team Jacob when they started watching Twilight, while Wonwoo and Seungcheol just shook their heads in amusement and Junhui just sits there, laughing and enjoying the company of his friends.</p><p>His phone vibrates on his lap and lights up with a notification from Minghao, which he opens and then he sees a picture of a bowl of spicy noodles along with dumplings.</p><p>There was a caption sent after the photo, the words making Junhui smile as he read the text.</p><p>
  <em>“Wish you were here.” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The Hong-Chwe Wedding was a small and intimate affair with only their family members and closest friends invited.</p><p>The parents of their friends who weren’t able to come made sure to send their video greetings as soon as the day started for the couple, enthusiastic and sincere wishes of a happy marriage for the two grooms.</p><p>Sofia stood beside Hansol as his best woman and Joshua was the one who walked down the aisle with his parents beside him, his mother not able to stop the happy tears that flowed down her cheeks as soon as they handed their son over to Hansol to take care of and love for the rest of their married lives.</p><p>Their friends weren’t much better either, red-rimmed eyes and soft sniffles, yet gentle smiles on their faces as they watched the two finally start a new chapter of their lives together.</p><p>When the vows and rings were exchanged, and their “I do’s” said to each other, Junhui hears Minghao sniffle next to him, and he turns just in time to his own husband blink his eyes rapidly in an effort not to let his tears fall.</p><p>Junhui chuckles softly and takes Minghao’s hand for him to hold, squeezing lightly and feeling the other return the action.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I now pronounce you husbands. You may now seal your promises with a kiss.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The reception was a long and merry event, filled to the brim with laughters and fond memories.</p><p>Sofia was one of those in charge of giving a speech and she delivered them in a funny and amusing way, with some harmless secrets divulged to the small crowd about how whipped Hansol was for Joshua, even when they were still just friends and toeing the lines of friendship and romance. She ended it by thanking Joshua for loving Hansol and that he had been part of the family ever since, that she was glad he was the one Hansol married and that he became another older brother figure to her.</p><p>Next was Jeonghan, Joshua’s best friend and the representative speaker for their large friend group, whose speech admittedly took longer than what he initially planned because of course, their friends interjected at some points, which both peaked the interests of those who are listening, eager to know more much to Joshua’s embarrassment.</p><p>The devilish grin on Jeonghan’s face tells everyone that he is enjoying his best friend’s torment as well.</p><p>“All jokes and embarrassing stories aside, Shua, all of us have seen you and Hansol from the beginning. From the moment when your friendship starts to bloom, to nervous confessions and working your way to your relationship as you two grow individually and together. And all of us are more than happy that you two found the love you longed for with each other and we wish you a happy and long-lasting marriage,” Jeonghan’s features softened into sweet and gentle affection, then he took a champagne flute in hand, raising it at eye-level as he proposed, “A toast to the newly-weds. May their marriage be fruitful and everlasting.”</p><p>Everyone else responded to the toast by lifting their glasses and taking a sip from the sparkling liquid, then a round of applause and congratulations ensued.</p><p>It was well after dinner and after Joshua and Hansol made their rounds of visiting each table and conversing with their guests, that the stage had opened for the performances prepared by their friends, which surprised Joshua and Hansol who both had no idea that this would be happening.</p><p>“We all had our share of fun and memories with music, and this is one of the greatest bonds and gifts that our friendship ever had,” Seungcheol said in the microphone before he, Mingyu and Wonwoo started to perform.</p><p>While waiting for their turn, Junhui turns to his side to look at Minghao, who is leaning against his own chair and bopping his head to the music, whooping loudly when the ballad song suddenly turns into rock music in the middle.</p><p>He wonders briefly what kind of marriage Minghao would want, if he would design the suits that they will be wearing, and if he would cry during the exchange of vows. The thought was so sudden but Junhui entertained it, feeling his heart clench in his heart at the image of Minghao walking down the aisle towards Junhui, a path full of red rose petals leading him to the front.</p><p>Minghao looks back at him with the easy grin still on his lips, cupping Junhui’s face in his palms as he mouths along with the lyrics of the song. It makes Junhui grin and he dances along, feeling a lot more festive, a lot more excited and a lot more in love.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>After the performances, Seokmin and Seungkwan stayed in front because they will be singing the song for the couple’s first dance, as requested by the evening’s couple.</p><p>When the song reached the first half, the host announced that the dancefloor is open to the rest of the guests who would want to dance as well.</p><p>Before Junhui could even work up the courage to ask Minghao if he wanted to, the younger already beat him to it, offering a hand between them and asking Junhui with an unwavering gaze and lopsided smile, “Dance with me?”</p><p>Junhui didn’t think twice as he took Minghao’s hand and they walked to the dance floor, taking their positions— Minghao’s left hand on his shoulder and his right hand on Minghao’s waist, their other hands clasped together. Then they started dancing some basic waltz steps that they learned back in high school when they decided they want to take up dance.</p><p><em>Forward, right, back and left. Repeat.</em> Junhui remembers late afternoons and early evenings in the backyard of Minghao’s childhood home, learning ballroom partnered with each other, eyes focused on their bare feet in fear of stepping on each other, staying there until they were confident enough to raise their chins with poise and not look down. <em>Forward, right, back and left. Repeat.</em></p><p>For fun, Junhui even twirled Minghao a few times, dipping him when the song ended which made Minghao giggle and hit Junhui softly on the shoulder before the older let up and return to their standing positions.</p><p>The songs change, this time coming from a playlist that Jihoon and Soonyoung collaborated on. The notes of Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight plays from the speakers and Minghao brings Junhui’s hands to circle around his waist, his own arms wrapping themselves around Junhui’s neck, the two of them locked in an intimate embrace, staring at each other with eyes that hold deeper and more meaning than words ever could while they swayed in time with the music.</p><p>“Hey,” Minghao whispers, his voice was quiet and if he wasn’t close enough, Junhui wouldn’t be able to hear him.</p><p>Junhui answers with a hum prompting him to continue, and feels Minghao draw circles on his nape with a finger.</p><p>“Come to Vegas with me,” Minghao was looking at him, eyes flitting nervously from spot to spot on Junhui’s face as he waits for his response. Junhui lets out a breathy laugh, bumping his nose against Minghao’s check affectionately, “Of course. Anywhere, Hao.” <em>As long as it’s with you.</em></p><p>He felt Minghao let out an exhale, his shoulders relaxing as he pulled himself closer to Junhui looking like they were almost hugging as they danced, “Good.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The day after the wedding was spent with last-minute shopping for souvenirs to bring back to Korea for those who would be departing early, dinner in a Chinese restaurant and betting on how spicy can Jeonghan eat his noodles before drinking water (it was about level 5 out of 10 before he gave up and reached for a  glass of water, downing it one go), and making sure that the things they bought all fit in their respective baggages (which didn’t happen resulting with Joshua lending them one large-sized one, solely for the things they purchased in their one and a half week of stay).</p><p>The next day, Joshua and Hansol, together with Minghao and Junhui, drove everyone to the airport after a hearty lunch. Luggages unloaded and hefted up onto the push carts for easier transportation, everyone bid their goodbyes and the four who were staying back wished them a safe flight, telling them to notify them immediately when they land.</p><p>Then, the four of them unanimously decided to go and chill at Santa Monica, after dropping off Junhui’s and Minghao’s things in the Hong-Chwe household where they will be staying for the rest of their trip.</p><p>It was late into the afternoon when they arrived, and there were people milling about on the beach. Minghao removes his shoes and socks, and folds the hem of his jeans until it reaches just below his knee, Junhui following suit, and then they walk along the shore, the grains of sand in between their toes, cold sea water lapping at their feet.</p><p>Minghao brings his camera up every now and then to take pictures and Junhui was content to watch him, his hands in his pocket as he follows behind Minghao slowly.</p><p>Then Minghao reaches his hand behind him and Junhui instinctively takes it, intertwines their fingers and catches up to Minghao so that they can walk together. Minghao turns to him, camera at the ready and clicks, smiling when he sees the photo but refusing to let Junhui see.</p><p>They continue to walk while the sun sets on the horizon, the large, blazing ball of fire reflected on the rippling dark waters, the dimming blue sky bursting into fiery colors.</p><p>Junhui looks at Minghao and sees that his eyes are closed as he basks in the moment, feeling at ease by the beach evident in the way his shoulders relaxed and his features smoothed out into nothing but bliss.</p><p> </p><p>(He remembers late nights powered by caffeine in a dorm room a little bit stuffy for two grown men, and Minghao talking about the future with a dreamy look in his tired eyes,</p><p>“One day, I’m going to have a house by the sea, Junhui. And it will be the most amazing thing ever.” Junhui just listens to him ramble on about the kind of house that he would want, the breed of dog he would adopt and, “I’m going to paint my house, and that way it makes it even more personal, even more me.” Junhui never doubted that he will make it happen, because he is Minghao and he is passionate and one way or another, he will have the future he always dreamt of in his grasp.)</p><p> </p><p>The sun kisses Minghao’s skin as it sets and the wind caresses his hair with a gentle touch as it blows, and Junhui is tempted to grab his phone and take a picture, capture this moment, this beautiful man in front of him but he doesn’t.</p><p>Still, the image burns itself at the back of his eyelids and when he closes his eyes, there’s just Minghao and the sea and the future that hopefully, is within his reach (if only he was brave enough to take that extra yet courageous step).</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The day before the Las Vegas trip was spent in Disneyland, all four of them wearing matching Mickey Mouse ears headbands, despite Minghao’s initial refusal because, “Junhui, we already have one each back in our apartment,” but in the end, Junhui won and now there is a rainbow Mickey Mouse headband settled on top of Minghao’s head as Junhui pulled him in for a nice selfie beside Donald Duck.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The drive to Las Vegas was almost six hours long with Hansol and Joshua taking turns in driving after they reached the halfway point of their journey.</p><p>As it was past midnight when they decided to leave Los Angeles so they wouldn’t be caught up in too much traffic, there was nothing much to see outside the windows except the blur of streetlights and car lights as they zoomed past.</p><p>When they reached Las Vegas, the sun had just begun to peek out from the horizon.</p><p>Junhui wakes Minghao up, who fell asleep an hour into the ride, with a gentle shake on his shoulders, telling him that they are parked by the Las Vegas sign and that Joshua wanted to take a picture there and then.</p><p>Minghao sits up, eyes blinking blearily with a small pout on his lips, as if he was miffed that his sleep was disturbed. His hood is pulled up and Junhui almost coos at how adorable he looks, but he holds himself in and gives Minghao a moment to wake up.</p><p>They exited the car, Minghao making sure that he had his camera with him, and went to where Joshua and Hansol were already, in front of the Las Vegas sign with Joshua posing while Hansol was taking his picture.</p><p>They spent a good few minutes taking their photos with the famous landmark, their first souvenirs and the indication that they finally arrived in the well-known City of Sin. After phones were passed around and every one of them were content with their first set of pictures taken, they started walking back to the car, Joshua and Hansol ahead while Junhui and Minghao slowly trailed behind as the older waited for his husband to finish taking his scenery shots.</p><p>Junhui stands with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, watching Minghao and the dark strands of his midnight black hair fall against his eyes as he angles the camera in a favourable way to capture what he intends to.</p><p>The sun starts to rise from where it was partially hidden, casting a golden light on the glistening and grandeur surface of the Mandalay Bay.</p><p>Minghao faces him and walks towards him, lips pursed in a smile, long strands of hair framing his face, eyes still sleepy yet already sparkling with anticipation of the day ahead.</p><p>Junhui sends him a smile back and loops an arm around Minghao’s shoulder to pull him closer once he is near enough, and as they walk back to the car, slowly taking their time, Junhui is unable to stop himself from pressing a gentle and loving kiss on Minghao’s temple.</p><p> </p><p>It is a silent yet glaring fact— that Wen Junhui is in love with Xu Minghao in every sunrise just as he is in love with him in every sunset.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>As soon as they unlocked the door to the AirBnB unit that will be housing them for the duration of their stay in Las Vegas, Joshua and Hansol trudged across the wide space of the living room and took the bedroom at the other end, leaving Minghao and Junhui to use the bedroom by the entrance.</p><p>They slept through the morning and woke up late in the afternoon, the bed too comfortable and the pillows too soft under their heads that they thought twice about getting up.</p><p>Dressed warmly, they set off to have their late lunch in a Chinese noodle restaurant two blocks down. There was a line but it was short and they are only a small group of four which made it fairly easy for them to secure a table.</p><p>They agreed to share two large bowls of noodles and one large bowl of rice toppings along with side dishes of sharksfin dumplings.</p><p>Junhui adds his usual amount of chilli powder in his noodle bowl, making the liquid look almost red, and he can feel Minghao’s judging gaze. He was proven correct when he raises his head and sees Minghao scrunching his nose as he saw the ungodly amount of red spice in Junhui’s food, making the older grin widely at him.</p><p>Tummies full after a hearty and satisfying meal, the four of them decided to drive and walk around The Strip and see what Las Vegas has to offer especially in the night when everything and everyone looks and feels considerably more alive than they are during the day.</p><p>It was a cold evening with the spring breeze blowing every now and then, making Junhui blow air into his cupped hands and rub them together to keep them warm.</p><p>But then, Minghao takes his hand and holds it in his, their fingers intertwining naturally, and the younger man stuffs both of their hands in one of the pockets of his coat.</p><p>Minghao doesn’t say anything when Junhui looks at him, eyes facing forward as they make their way through the throngs of people enjoying the Las Vegas night scene.</p><p>Junhui smiles and inches closer, and internally, he holds himself back from pulling their intertwined hands close to his face and give the back of Minghao’s hand a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The lights of The Strip decorate the Las Vegas scene like stars spread across the dark blanket of sky above them.</p><p>Minghao takes photo after photo, video after video, and there was one of just Joshua and Hansol and there was another of him, with Junhui piping up behind for a wave.</p><p>Then they walk, and Minghao looks up and his head turns this way and that, a slap on the arm, “Junhui, look!” pointing towards the faux Eiffel Tower in Paris and the garden at Caesar’s Palace and the small group of people cosplaying some horror movie characters (which Junhui thinks is too early to do so, but well, you do you).</p><p>It is entirely adorable how Minghao gets excited when they travel, a youthful sparkle in his eyes that makes Junhui content to just watch him, so he does, obliges when Minghao asks to take a picture of him with The Strip as his background, lets Minghao take his pictures too and pull him around especially when he sees the little souvenir shop in one corner, picking up small items and whispering and giggling with Joshua about one thing he saw (which Junhui found out to be sex dice, which he shows to Hansol who huffed a laugh and jokingly bought it).</p><p>Minghao and Hansol ordered two spiked juices while Joshua and Junhui sat down in the benches offered in the middle of the intersecting aisles of the mall, waiting for them.</p><p>“You’re whipped, you know that?” Joshua tells him. Junhui turns to him and sees the side of his lips quirked up in a small yet affectionate and honest smile.</p><p>Junhui just answers him with a smile of his own, <em>yeah. Yeah I am.</em></p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Do you guys want to try one of the casino games for fun?” Hansol asks them while they were just standing around, drinking through their tall plastic towers of peach and mango-flavored alcohol.</p><p>“We’ll go broke and that’s a bad idea,” Joshua points out, “I’m in.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>After a few tries in the slot machines (that Hansol and Joshua were surprisingly good at, but maybe it was just their luck for the night), they decided to go home and turn in because they will be leaving for Arizona the next morning.</p><p>At the thought of driving so early, Joshua whines into Hansol’s shoulder as the couple heads to their bedroom while Minghao just snorts into his tea, amused at the interaction.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Arizona was sunny yet the cold lingered in the air as soon as they stepped out of the car.</p><p>Joshua was silent after the whole drive, clutching onto his third cup of coffee for the morning and shielding his face from the glare of the sun with his free hand.</p><p>Hansol leads the group to the reception area which also doubles as the souvenir shop, where the two Americans bought their tickets for the tour of the Grand Canyon West while Junhui and Minghao wander around, checking the different trinkets, jewelries and other stuff displayed in the souvenir section of the interior.</p><p>Minghao tries out some jewelry, looking at the mirror and then to Junhui, who eyes him critically, nodding when he finds it suited Minghao and his taste, shaking his head when he finds it subpar.</p><p>In the end, Minghao buys a pair and wears them immediately. He seemed satisfied as he gave it one last look in the mirror just as Joshua and Hansol appeared with their tickets.</p><p>“I bought the ones that included the Glass Bridge experience,” Hansol informs as he hands out the tickets and Minghao looks up with an excited gleam in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” Minghao whispers in awe as soon as they unboarded the bus that took them to the first stop of the tour.</p><p>The wonderful thing about this was that, there is no time limit on how long you can stay since there will be a bus arriving every 30 minutes to drop off tourists and to bring them to the next stop.</p><p>The view was exhilarating— a wide expanse of luscious brown terrain in front of them, stretching from point to point, both of which are far from what their eyes could see.</p><p>Minghao walks towards the edge, carefully navigating the uneven surface of land while holding on tightly to Junhui’s arm.</p><p>He squeals with laughter when he saw how deep the fall would be, the excitement getting through him more than the nervousness. The sight makes Junhui’s chest squeeze with affection, it almost feels like it would cave in at any moment now because of Xu Minghao and his effortless ways of making Junhui feel just how much he loves the other.</p><p>“Junhui, let’s take a picture!” Minghao says excitedly, waving Hansol over to give him his camera.</p><p>Then, Minghao wounds an arm around Junhui’s waist and smiles widely at the camera, Junhui shooting him a look when he hears the click signalling that a photo was already taken.</p><p>“One more,” Hansol tells them, raising a finger and throwing Junhui a brief yet knowing look. He counts this time, <em>3, 2, 1</em>, and Junhui makes sure that he is looking at the camera now.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>He is a mixture of nerves and excitement, taking a deep breath as the people in front of them went up the platform.</p><p>Beside him, Minghao is clutching the sleeve of his coat tightly, their arms linked and shoulders pressed together.</p><p>When it was finally their turn, Junhui pulled him along and Minghao shot the small flight of stairs in front of them with a hesitant look before he moved his legs.</p><p>“Holyyyy shit, this is so fucking high,” Minghao exclaims the moment they were on the Glass Bridge, his eyes wide as he looked down at the transparent glass and at the more-than-a-hundred-feet drop below them.</p><p>Junhui chuckles as they start walking at a slow pace. Joshua and Hansol, who were originally behind them, took over and are now walking ahead, chill, unbothered and without so much as a dash of fear.</p><p>Junhui himself is kind of scared because they are on a transparent and glass contraption, hundreds of feet above ground, and even though it is built with steady materials, the fear of the glass cracking and them falling still gnaws at the back of his mind.</p><p>However, Minghao is doing a great job of distracting him from those fearful thoughts as he listens to the younger voice out and ramble about the most random things— muttering under his breath whether or not he should take pictures with his camera or his phone, if he should just put everything in one video so he wouldn’t have to stop every now and then to take a picture because “Junhui, what if my phone falls?,” wondering if Mingyu would even be brave enough to do this only to counter himself with a snort, “No, he’s too chicken to do it. He would probably be pulling Wonwoo back before he even puts his foot on the glass.”</p><p>Those things were interesting enough that Junhui paid more attention to Minghao than on his subtle fear of heights, add the fact that Minghao is clinging to him like a baby.</p><p>“If he falls, we’re going to be stuck here in Arizona,” Minghao mutters as he shot Joshua and Hansol a look, both of them taking a picture on the outside part of the semi-circle, with Joshua sitting on the railing, an arm wrapped around Hansol’s shoulder.</p><p>Looking at them sends shivers down Junhui’s spine and he just turns around before more fearful thoughts get to him.</p><p>“Do you want to take a picture?” He asks Minghao instead. The younger purses his lips as he contemplates, then he shrugs, “Why not?”</p><p>He looks around and stares hardly at the glass below his feet then slowly, he lowers himself until he is sitting and Junhui was about to move away while getting his phone from his pocket, if not for Minghao’s unrelenting grip on his coat sleeve.</p><p>“Hao, I need to move a small distance so I can take a good photo,” he tells him gently, almost like a parent telling his child to stay put for a while because they had to do something, and reluctantly, Minghao lets him go, with a pout present on his face.</p><p>Minghao smiles when Junhui brings up his phone, his lips quivering a bit, and Junhui takes the pictures immediately. Then he helps Minghao to his feet, the younger man clutching onto him like a lifeline once again as they both huddle over the phone and swipe through the photos.</p><p>They continued walking then, weaving through the people who are a mixture of fear and awe as well, taking pictures to post on their Instagram stories and feeds.</p><p>Junhui takes a selfie of himself too, not wanting to subject Minghao to more fear-induced stress, especially if they were there to enjoy. He also pulls Minghao for one shot of them together, Hansol and Joshua walking just right on time to take it for them.</p><p>Once they reached the end and were once again stepping on hard and solid ground, Minghao sighed in relief. He is scared yet he still did it, making his fear a motivation for him to be successful about it, and Junhui admires him for that.</p><p>“Well, that was both stressful <em>and</em> fun,” Minghao states nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t just scared a few moments ago, “How about lunch?”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>They didn’t spend a lot of time in the third and last stop, opting to just take pictures in another part of the Canyon, and then sat down admiring the view as they waited for the bus.</p><p>On the last stop, there were still a few patches of snow on the ground, making it a bit wet on some parts. The place was like an old ranch, and because the day is coming to an end, there were only a few people left with them.</p><p>Junhui and Hansol left together to find a bathroom to relieve themselves and when they came back, Joshua and Minghao were by the souvenir shop, cups of coffee in their hands and plastic bags with the shop’s name dangling on their wrists.</p><p>“Next time we go here,” Joshua announces it like a promise, “let’s just rent a lodge and stay the night so we don’t have to rush and drive all the way back to Vegas.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The way home was silent as they drove along the highway.</p><p>The sun had long set and there were only the car headlights and streetlights aiding their vision in the otherwise dark surroundings.</p><p>An upbeat music was playing on the radio, a song from Hansol’s road trip playlist, and the volume was turned down a little following the request of Joshua who is now fast-asleep on the backseat, leaning against Minghao who is also asleep as well.</p><p>Junhui shots them a look from the rearview mirror and he smiles at the adorable sight.</p><p>“Do you already have an idea about how you’re going to tell him?” Hansol asks him softly, eyes sliding over him briefly before focusing on the road again.</p><p>Junhui leans his head against the window, feeling the cold surface on the skin of his temple.</p><p>“None,” he answers simply. Hansol nods in understanding, opting not to say anything further and pressure Junhui, and that is what he greatly appreciates and likes about Hansol.</p><p>“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon,” Hansol says after a beat, reaching over to clap his shoulder and give it a gentle yet encouraging squeeze.</p><p>“Hopefully,” Junhui answers, lips quirked up in a small smile, “Thank you, Hansol.”</p><p>“Anytime, hyung.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The next day was spent shopping.</p><p>Joshua, who was whining about how his feet terribly ached because of all the walking they did yesterday (“Josh, it was you and Minghao who finalized everything,” Hansol reminded him and Joshua just pouted telling him, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can’t whine about it.”), disappeared with Minghao as soon as they parked the car, leaving Hansol with Junhui.</p><p>“Where do you want to go first?” Hansol asks him and Junhui just answers with a shrug, “Anywhere really. I don’t have anything in mind yet.”</p><p>“There’s a sale in Converse,” Hansol informs him as they start walking, “Let’s head there first?”</p><p>“Sure thing.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Late into the afternoon and arms full of shopping bags, Minghao and Joshua appeared by the entrance where Junhui and Hansol are sitting on the benches with their fewer paper bags, sipping on their cups of lemonade and an empty wrapper of pretzels sitting in between them.</p><p>The two looked tired yet glowing, seemingly feeling accomplished and satisfied with the things they had bought judging from the way their eyes gleamed with unconcealed joy.</p><p>They dropped the bags they were carrying on the ground and heaved a sigh. Junhui gave Minghao the bottle of water he bought earlier while Hansol let Joshua drink the rest of his lemonade while they were resting for a while and deciding where to have dinner.</p><p>“Let’s just grab Mcdonald’s and call it a day,” Joshua piped up, biting on the straw when there was no more lemonade in the cup for him to drink.</p><p>“We went all the way to Las Vegas, to eat Mcdonald’s?” Minghao deadpans and Joshua just looks at him expressionless, saying, “Unless you have anything in mind?”</p><p>Minghao relents with a shrug, making Joshua smile at him and pull him by the arm again, picking up some of their shopping bags and leading the way to the parking lot.</p><p>“Let’s go!” he says cheerily while Junhui and Hansol were left sitting on the bench, looking at the other half of the shopping bags that their wonderful husbands had, unfortunately, left for them to carry.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“What did you guys buy?” Joshua asked as he munched on a piece of french fries, “It looks like you finished early.”</p><p>“We did finish early,” Hansol affirmed, sipping on his juice before continuing, “Jun-hyung and I were sitting there for like an hour and a half taking advantage of the free wi-fi and having a small picnic.”</p><p>“We also bought matching clothes and shoes while we’re doing our shopping,” Junhui adds with a bright smile. Hansol’s hand appears in his line of vision, formed into a fist and Junhui immediately bumps it with his own.</p><p>“We should’ve bought matching underwear or something,” Minghao mutters to Joshua, making Junhui snort when he hears it.</p><p>“Jokes on you, Hansol and I also bought matching underwear. And socks.”</p><p>“I’m exchanging Minghao for you, Hansol. I’ll send the divorce papers in the morning,” Joshua jokes and Hansol just laughs good-naturedly, leaning over the table to press a kiss on Joshua’s forehead, making the older smile bashfully.</p><p>Junhui shakes his head fondly at the display and in front of him, Minghao rolls his eyes but there is a small smile playing on his lips.</p><p>In one of the paper bags containing Junhui’s purchase lies a wonderful beige velvet trench coat designed with black swirls that he had bought knowing at one glance that it will definitely suit Minghao and it is the kind of clothes that Minghao loves to wear.</p><p>And there is also the box of black Dior loafers to add to his shoe collection back at home.</p><p>It isn’t often that Junhui spends money on Minghao— the younger always insist that he have his own money to blow off when they go out shopping on their days off. But when he does, he makes sure he spends it wisely and makes sure it is done with a lot of careful thought put into it, makes sure that Minghao would love it— bringing it up to his eye level as he looks it over then beams largely at Junhui telling him, “Junnie, I love it, thank you,” just like the very first time Junhui bought him a gift after his first paycheck which is that designer shirt he had been eyeing ever since college.</p><p>Junhui basks in Minghao’s smile and the way his eyes curve into crescents at the upturn of his lips, a hint of dimple showing on his cheeks that Junhui would poke when given the chance. Maybe even kiss.</p><p>Like right now. Minghao is smiling at him and playing with his feet underneath the table, and Junhui wishes that he too could just lean over the table and press a lingering kiss on Minghao’s lips.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Their last day in Las Vegas was spent waking up late in the morning (much to Joshua’a delight), eating take-out for lunch and spending the better part of the afternoon dressing up glamorously as they decided to dedicate their remaining hours to seeing the parts of The Strip that they weren’t able to visit on their first night.</p><p>Junhui is seated on the couch while playing on his phone, dressed in his all-black attire— his silk button up shirt with mesh, see-through sleeves coupled with black pants that almost stick on his skin and a choker encircling his neck.</p><p>Beside him, Hansol has his newly-dyed silver hair (courtesy of Joshua and Minghao, of course) brushed up showing his forehead, his outfit a black silk coordinated pair with some silver accessories sewn into the lapels of his button up.</p><p>They were already done getting dressed for almost half an hour and are currently and patiently waiting for their partners to be done so they could leave already and cover a lot of sights for the night.</p><p>Junhui gets bored of the game he had been playing for the past ten minutes (the third in the last almost-thirty minutes) and switched to scroll lazily through his Instagram— sees Wonwoo’s cat and leaves a heart react, swipes next to Mingyu and Seungcheol having lunch together and then exits the stories to view his feed, double-taps a like on Hansol’s recent Instagram upload of the Grand Canyon West View and sees Sofia’s comment of, “Bring me there next time with you!”</p><p>He locks his phone after and leans his head on the back of the couch, opting to take a short nap if the two will still take a while, but the plan was easily dismissed when the door to Joshua and Hansol’s room opened, making the two men seated on the couch perk up and turn their heads.</p><p>Joshua was dressed like Hansol— black silk coordinated pair with a silver accessory sewn into the lapels of his shirt, the neckline low enough to tease with a view of Joshua’s toned and tanned chest, and a dash of make-up on his face that highlights his lips and his eyes.</p><p>Hansol was just staring, and Junhui wasn’t any better when he saw Minghao.</p><p>His long-sleeved button up shirt was see-through mesh with black embroidery of intricate flower designs. The front part of his shirt is tucked and the back part was left as it is. A sleeveless black silk vest was worn on top of the shirt, the back flowy and reaching up until the middle of Minghao’s thighs. His black hair was styled in a wavy manner, parted at the middle and framing his face. He also wore make-up tonight, Junhui notes as he sees the pinker than usual lips and the red gradient surrounding his eyes.</p><p>He looks sinful, and Junhui is tempted to just keep him inside the apartment and do some sinful things to him as well.</p><p>But he shakes those thoughts off his mind, not quite sure if their marriage entails the consummation part since they were just best friends before they jumped to being husbands without going through the whole “let’s be boyfriends and date each other” thing.</p><p>Instead he stands up and stretches his hands above his head, nudges Hansol on the shoulder who snapped out of his staring contest with Joshua, and asks, “So, are we ready to go?”</p><p>Everyone nodded and double-checked if they have their important belongings with them before they wore their shoes and all four of then stepped out into the cool late afternoon in the middle of spring.</p><p>Junhui shivers slightly but figures it will go away soon, once the excitement of their night settles and the four of them are once again thrown into the loop of glasses of alcohol and whiffs of weed and the whole debacle of Sin that surrounds The Strip.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Photos are a necessity, especially when you’re with Minghao who most likely wants to capture every moment in stilled images to reminisce on for a later date.</p><p>No one bats an eye as they treated The Strip as their runway and their photoshoot location, and it was nice, it makes Junhui feel free of eyes boring into his back and making his skin prickly as he feels himself get conscious of other people.</p><p>Hansol takes one last shot of Minghao, standing like an aloof model with a hand in his pocket, one knee bent while the other takes a step back, the glittering lights of The Strip serving as a background and making him shine like a star (or maybe even something brighter).</p><p>Then they continued walking— crossing streets and walking through malls, eating ice cream and sitting on the steps of the stairs in Venice.</p><p>Joshua has half a mind to ride a gondola, but figures it would be so much better if they got to ride the original one in Italy first so they opted out and instead went to get some shots.</p><p>The liberating feel gets to Junhui, and it helps that both Hansol and Joshua are enthusiastically encouraging him to loosen up, so he does, and then he turns to look at Minghao, who is giggling at the back of his palm. The sound was attractive and adorable and contagious and it makes Junhui laugh too before he throws back the crimson red content from the last shot glass that Joshua placed in front of him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>It was quite a funny sight— four grown men dressed elegantly in coordinating outfits of silk and embroidered mesh getting excited like elementary or even preschool kids at the sight of an abundance of sweets when they entered the store named Sugar.</p><p>There was even a second floor, Junhui notes, his eyes literally sparkling at the sight of different kinds of chocolate encased in tall tubes covering almost half of the wall of the shop.</p><p>They left with a bag each of sweets in hand and after Joshua popped a lollipop in his mouth (which resulted in Hansol and him making out for a few seconds, not that Junhui cared really, he was buzzed and feeling light and all sorts of good things that he didn’t mind the affectionate couply act), he pointed towards the ferris wheel and of course, they had to ride it.</p><p>Junhui and Minghao shared the cabin, obviously, sitting opposite each other. Junhui was tempted to pull Minghao towards him so they could sit together, if only it wouldn’t tip the balance and let them sway precariously while hovering a couple of feet above ground. Nope. That’s not even remotely romantic at all.</p><p>So he settles sitting opposite him and looking at the view below, the buildings getting smaller and smaller as they get higher and higher, looking like twinkling stars on the ground and Junhui is staring at them from his place in the skies.</p><p>“Hey, Junhui,” Minghao calls his name softly, making Junhui turn towards the other. Minghao is still gazing outside the glass, eyes trained on the view below them while he continues speaking, words dripping with sincerity as they fell from his lips, “Thank you for coming with me, and for agreeing with all of this even if some things just happened unexpectedly.”</p><p>Minghao turns to look at him, gentle affection swimming his eyes and at that moment, Junhui feels like he has a lot to say— and he does. But he doesn’t even know where to begin, and the words get all tangled up in his tongue that he stops himself for now and settles with, “You’re welcome.”</p><p>“You know I’ll go anywhere with you, Hao. Anywhere.”</p><p>It was a promise and it will always be a promise— when they were ten, lying down on Junhui’s bed during a sleepover and pinkies linked together before falling into slumber; when they were seventeen and figuring out what to do with life and what path they wanted to take, sweat-soaked skin and heaving chests as they lay on the grass in Minghao’s backyard, a satisfying ache in their muscles because of all the dancing; when they were twenty-two and surviving through the hell in college, ramen noodles and cups of coffee and stacks of paper and tons of research and sleepless nights; when they were twenty-eight, drunk and merry and rings on their fingers, stepping up from best friends to husbands and feeling like nothing has changed at the same time that something has changed.</p><p>It was a promise and it will remain a promise because Junhui loves Minghao and is in love with Minghao and if his best friend slash husband asks to come with him to the end of the world, then he would do so in a heartbeat.</p><p>The smile doesn’t leave Minghao’s lips and they stare at each other for a while, as if reading something in their expressions, of the words that they refuse to speak out loud, before Minghao breaks the gaze and continues to look outside.</p><p>When they disembark the cabin, Minghao exits first but he holds his hand out for Junhui to take and they navigate the crowd with their hands encasing each other in its warmth.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Along the streets of The Strip, Minghao was almost pulled into an impromptu dance battle if not for Joshua announcing that the fountain show in Bellagio is about to begin.</p><p>So Minghao scoffs and turns on his heel, pulling Junhui along as they follow Joshua and Hansol towards where the fountain show will be held.</p><p>With the thickening crowd and the excitement flowing through each spectator, it was easy to lose Joshua and Hansol, so Junhui made sure to hold onto Minghao tightly so they wouldn’t get separated.</p><p>Fortunately, they were able to score a perfect view of the show, just in front of the cement barrier where they can feel the spray of the water on their faces when the fountain blasts and the wind blows.</p><p>The first spurt of water shots high up into the sky simultaneous with the first beats of the song being played— Perfect by Ed Sheeran. The crowd cheers, Minghao claps his hands as he whoops, as did Junhui.</p><p>As the song progresses, it seems to have put everyone in a loving mood. Couples around their are acting all sweet and affectionate— hands around waists in a back hug and a chin hooked on a shoulder or propped on top of the smaller’s head; sharing a kiss in the middle of the crowd and then wide smiles and another kiss. Junhui’s sure that somewhere out there, or wherever Hansol and Joshua may be, they are doing the same. Maybe right now Joshua is enveloped in Hansol’s arms as the younger hugs his husband from behind, the two of them swaying in time with the music. He wouldn’t discount the possibility, after all they had always been openly affectionate with each other.</p><p>Junhui wants that too, with Minghao. Granted they had been clingy and touchy with each other growing up, but that’s because they are best friends. And now they’re married, decided to stay married and are technically husbands, but Junhui still doesn’t know just how much is too much— if kissing Minghao on the lips and feeling him sigh against the kiss is a huge step from their best-friends-and-suddenly-husbands status.</p><p>Maybe they should’ve also discussed the technicalities of their relationship when they talked about it before San Francisco.</p><p>But they’re in Las Vegas now and they’re having a great time and Junhui is afraid to dampen the atmosphere so he stays quiet and enjoys, leaving the question for yet another day just as he always does.</p><p><em>It’s been years</em>, a voice that sounded so much like Wonwoo whispers from the back of his mind in a deadpanned tone and Junhui ignores it in favor of giving his full attention to the show in front of them and to Minghao, standing beside him and singing along with the song, his hand finding Junhui’s and their fingers interlacing.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>After two songs, they left their spot and decided to stay inside a bar that offers discounted drinks until 2:00 in the morning while they tried to contact Joshua and Hansol about where they are. The keyword being “tried” because none of the two are actually answering the calls and texts.</p><p>“I’m going to the bathroom,” Minghao announces after he throws back a shot and stands up from the stool he is sitting on, by the bar counter beside Junhui.</p><p>“Will you be fine on your own?” Junhui asks worriedly and Minghao just waves him off, “Yeah, I just had a couple of shots. Not enough to get me drunk. I’ll be back in a bit.”</p><p>Junhui just watches him saunter off, letting out a sigh as he gestures the bartender for a glass of water, opting out of the alcohol for now.</p><p>He was fiddling with his phone, been a few minutes since Minghao was gone (“Why is he taking so long?”), when a woman with long black hair, dressed in a red and black suit walks up to the counter and orders two glasses of Bloody Mary.</p><p>“Alone for the night?” The woman asks and Junhui turns to look at the woman just to make sure that she is talking to him.</p><p>The woman is leaning against the counter table, eyes regarding Junhui with an inquisitive gaze. Junhui answers, “Not really. I’m with someone.”</p><p>“Oh, is that so? I would’ve asked you to sit with us if you didn’t have company. Such a bummer for a handsome face to be drinking alone, don’t you think?”</p><p>Junhui just shrugs, “Drinking alone isn’t that bad,” he takes a sip from the glass of water in front of him, “Besides, I don’t think my husband would be amused if I ran off with someone else.”</p><p>At that, the woman’s gaze strayed towards his hand, where a golden band sits on his ring finger, and her kohl-lined eyes widened almost comically, a grin making its way on her face, “Just got married?”</p><p>Junhui nods shyly, “Yeah. A few days ago.”</p><p>The woman hums, “I get it. I wouldn’t want to be away from my girlfriend either the first few months we got together. Hell, up until now I feel that way.”</p><p>Junhui’s eyes slightly widened at the information and the woman must’ve noticed the shock, laughing and not taking offense at his reaction, “Yeah, I have a girlfriend and we just wanted to hang out don’t worry. I don’t really plan on hitting on you, nor does she. We’re perfectly monogamous.”</p><p>“Sorry for acting so surprised,” Junhui apologizes, rubbing at his nape. The woman just chuckles good-naturedly, “It’s okay. I’d be shocked too if l thought I was being hit on by a stranger then finding out said stranger is taken.”</p><p>“I’m Kang Seulgi, by the way,” she holds her hand out as she introduces herself and Junhui takes it, shaking it firmly but gently as he smiles and introduces himself as well, “Wen Junhui.”</p><p>The bartender places the two glasses of red liquid in front of Seulgi and the latter says her thanks with a beaming smile on her face.</p><p>She turned to Junhui and was about to say something when Junhui felt a weight drape on his shoulders and then the subtle scent of Minghao’s cologne drifted through his senses.</p><p>“Junhui, let’s go home,” he whines, burying his face on Junhui’s nape.</p><p>“Alright, drink some water first, Hao,” Junhui tells him, bringing the glass of water up for Minghao to take a few sips.</p><p>“This is Seulgi,” Junhui gestures towards the woman standing beside them who gave Minghao a smile and a wave.</p><p>“Hi! You must be—”</p><p>“Xu Minghao. I’m his husband,” Minghao cuts off without missing a beat and Junhui was supposed to tell him off for being rude but then Seulgi just laughs, rendering both him and Minghao confused at the reaction they received.</p><p>“I figured,” Seulgi says with a large grin, “You two look really cute together. Well, it’s nice meeting you and all and I would love to chat but you two seemed to be leaving and I need to go back to my girlfriend. I can feel her getting impatient already.”</p><p>Seulgi takes the two glasses with her and bids them goodbye as she walks off towards a table at the far end of the bar where another woman was sitting down and boredly scrolling through her phone.</p><p>Junhui turns to Minghao, whose face is flushed scarlet and was about to tell him off being rude but instead cooed at how cute he looked when embarrassed.</p><p>“Haohao, you’re so adorable~” Junhui cups Minghao’s cheeks in his palms and squeezes softly, making the younger groan at the action but he does not remove Junhui’s hands on him.</p><p>It makes Junhui grin, dropping his hands to rest around Minghao’s waist, making the latter step closer so Junhui parts his legs slightly to let Minghao settle in between them.</p><p>“What took you so long?” Junhui asked him. Minghao places his hands on Junhui’s shoulders, fingers fiddling with the material of his clothing.</p><p>“The line was a bit long and Hansol called briefly to tell us we could go home ahead,” Minghao informs him. Junhui’s eyebrow shot up and was about to ask another question about where the married couple were and how they were going to go home when Minghao reached from his back pocket and procured what looks like a set of car keys.</p><p>“I don’t want to know what they’re up to if they’re that absorbed with each other and Hansol gave the keys to me a while ago.”</p><p>“They must have foreseen that they couldn’t hold back on jumping each other if they gave you the key earlier,” Junhui says and Minghao just hums in reply.</p><p>They stayed like that for a while. Hands on each other, staring. Junhui likes it when Minghao gets touchy, likes it when Minghao looks at him. And the way Minghao does right now ignites something inside Junhui— a fire waiting to burn and consume. It makes him tighten his hold on Minghao, the other’s eyes darkening a little but Junhui caught on, sure that his own are the same.</p><p>“Let’s get out of here,” Minghao breathes out and Junhui doesn’t think twice of standing up, pulling his wallet out and leaving enough money on the counter to pay for their drinks.</p><p>And then they were out, quick on their feet as they walked with purpose towards the parking lot where the car is.</p><p>“I sure hope you don’t get caught driving without a license,” Junhui pipes up unhelpfully once they were inside the car and putting their seatbelts on, the statement making Minghao snort.</p><p>“God, that would kill the mood,” he answers as he inserts the key and starts the car. Then he drives off into the night, the adrenaline beginning to surge through Junhui’s veins.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>It was a short drive from The Strip back to their AirBnB, barely ten minutes and they were already in the parking lot and getting out of the car. Rushing across the property in fits of giggles and linked fingers.</p><p>As soon as they were inside, Junhui immediately backs Minghao against the wall as he kicks the door closed behind him. He presses their foreheads together and closes his eyes, breathing him and feeling him underneath his palms— very much alive and very much real.</p><p>“I have something for you,” Minghao whispers in the silent and dark room, making Junhui open his eyes and take a step back.</p><p>Minghao reaches over to lock the door and pulls Junhui along to their room, making him sit on the bed as he takes something out from his bag, setting it on Junhui’s open palm as he sits down beside him.</p><p>Junhui carefully opens the packaging and sees a gold ring with a small rose in the middle, three little diamonds lining each side.</p><p>Minghao takes the ring from him and he was the one who put it on Junhui’s middle finger, just beside their gold wedding band.</p><p>Junhui’s heart swells at the thoughtful gift and the thoughtful action, and at the small but fond smile on Minghao’s lips. Half of his face is in the shadows while the other half is bathed by the warm orange glow of the fairy lights on the glass cabinet by the side that acts as the night light. Junhui still thinks he is gorgeous like this— gentle and affectionate and, dare he say it, loving.</p><p>He is so, so tempted to lean in and just kiss him.</p><p>So he does, not forgetting to be polite about it and ask, “Hao, can I kiss you?”</p><p>Minghao inhaled almost sharply and his reply was a breathless, “Yes.”</p><p>Junhui doesn’t waste any time pressing their lips together.</p><p>And god, Minghao’s lips are just as soft as they looked, albeit a little chapped due to the cold. Junhui could taste the bittersweet alcohol on his tongue and the traces of his vanilla lip balm which he had always been using since high school.</p><p>They parted briefly when the need for air came up, foreheads pressed together with only a little space between them. Junhui holds Minghao’s face in his hands, the pad of his thumb rubbing across the skin of his cheeks.</p><p>Minghao laughs giddily under his breath, and the sound makes Junhui laugh too, both their shoulders shaking as they fall on their sides on the feather-soft covers, facing each other and eyes scrunched in laughter.</p><p>When they calmed down, they just looked at each other. Minghao’s eyes sparkle with unconcealed joy, the smile still on his face and Junhui says out loud, “You’re beautiful,” and it makes Minghao blush and Junhui leans in to kiss him again because now he could.</p><p>And then again. And again. And everytime, Minghao responds enthusiastically, tongue swiping at the seam of Junhui’s lips making him moan.</p><p>Junhui pulls Minghao flush on top of him, and there’s something about the way that Minghao looks down on him with his hair slightly disheveled, flush high on his cheeks and eyes glazed over with desire.</p><p>Minghao leans down and kisses him again, more passionate this time, his lips trailing down from his jaw to the expanse of his neck, and Junhui willingly tilts his head to the side to give Minghao more room to mark as he pleases.</p><p>He feels the hint of teeth, biting at his flesh, and he hisses. Feels Minghao suck a mark and soothes it with his tongue.</p><p>Then he moves to kiss Junhui on the lips again, slower, more innocent, more languid this time. The fire in the pit of Junhui’s stomach dies down into a gentle flame as he pulls back from the kiss and looks up at Minghao, cups the younger’s cheeks in his palms and caresses the skin of his cheek with the pad of his thumb before leaning in to kiss him again.</p><p> </p><p>And again.</p><p> </p><p>And again.</p><p> </p><p>Minghao tastes sweet on his tongue and Junhui feels like a god taking a sip of the golden nectar solely made for the delicate and precious tongues of the heavens.</p><p>They kiss and kiss for what seems like hours and it doesn’t feel like it would stop soon, if Junhui hadn’t commented or their position, the lower half of Junhui’s body practically hanging off the bed and it isn’t exactly an ideal and comfortable position to be making out with the love of your life.</p><p>He addresses this to Minghao, who giggles against his lips (Junhui almost dies at the cuteness of it) before he removes himself from Junhui, the older immediately missing his warmth.</p><p>“Do you want to watch a movie?” Minghao asks him as they stood up from the bed and went to get changed together, Junhui passing Minghao’s pajamas over and then taking his own.</p><p>“Sure. Let’s take advantage of the free access to Amazon Prime movies and watch as much as we could until we fall asleep on the couch or something.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Hours later filled with more make-out sessions than actually watching the movie (not that Junhui was complaining), he could see Minghao’s eyes droop little by little even though he tries very hard to get them to stay open.</p><p>Eventually, he turns and faces Junhui, nuzzles his face on the crook of Junhui’s neck. It was a good thing that the couch is big and neither of them is in danger of falling anytime soon.</p><p>The lights are turned off, only the light coming from the LED television bathing the room in its warm glow.</p><p>Minghao’s breath brushes the skin of Junhui’s neck and it tickles, makes him shiver a little. Then he feels Minghao’s lips move, voice soft and sleepy when he mutters his name, “Junhui...”</p><p>He lays an arm on top of Minghao’s waist, his hand slipping in to rest at the bare skin above the hem of his pants, drawing circles with his thumbs on the area near his hipbone.</p><p>“Yes, Haohao?”</p><p>Minghao yawns, and he was quiet for a while that Junhui actually thinks he had fallen asleep. But he speaks up again, “I’m glad I got married to you,” and the sincere admission does wonders to Junhui’s heart.</p><p>“I am too, baobei,” Junhui whispers, pressing his lips on Minghao’s forehead for a lingering kiss. He hears Minghao hum happily and it makes Junhui smile. Makes his heart hurt with all the affection swimming inside of him.</p><p>“Goodnight, Junnie.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Minghao.”</p><p>Junhui feels the flutter of Minghao’s eyelashes, tips slightly grazing against his skin as he closes his eyes, ready to fall asleep.</p><p>But then Minghao calls his name sleepily, and mutters something almost inaudible, yet with how near they are with each other, Junhui fully understands what the words are.</p><p>His eyes remained locked on Minghao’s sleeping form, trying to fully process if he had heard him right.</p><p>There was exhaustion in Junhui’s bones but Minghao’s words kept him up for an hour at most before he let sleep take over.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>There was the distinct sound of keys being inserted in a doorknob, and then it clicks open, rousing Minghao from his half-asleep state.</p><p>He looks over his shoulder, to the entrance door of their unit, being opened carefully and slowly, then Hansol appears inside with Joshua asleep on his back.</p><p>Minghao met Hansol’s eyes briefly, the two sharing a short greeting before Hansol continued on to his bedroom with Joshua to deposit his husband on the bed and let him sleep comfortably.</p><p>Minghao himself turns to his side, facing Junhui who is snoring softly, still fast asleep. His features are smoothed over, looking peaceful, and Minghao has half a mind to trace every part of his face with his finger.</p><p>So he does.</p><p>He starts with the curve of his thin eyebrows, then to the gorgeous slope of his nose, his fingers not straying from the path that Minghao started, as if he is currently doing a light sketch of a new portrait. The featherlight touch of Minghao’s finger made Junhui scrunch his nose adorably and in turn, a fond smile bloomed on Minghao’s face.</p><p>He continues tracing Junhui’s features, to his cheeks, soft and supple when he slightly poked it (Junhui doesn’t even so much as stir this time), then down to the side of his lips where he paused for a moment before he let his finger slowly run across his bottom lip.</p><p>Memories of last night came flooding into his mind and he remembers the feeling of finally, finally feeling Junhui’s lip against his, locked in a kiss. He remembers the spark of desire, dwindling down into something more chaste, more intimate, more loving even without the crazed hands and lips mapping down bare skins and trailing fire.</p><p>He was content enough to be held by Junhui and spend the rest of the night kissing, the movie playing in the background ignored and forgotten in favor of tasting the lingering sweetness of the alcohol left on Junhui’s tongue.</p><p>Minghao feels the slightly chapped lips of Junhui on the pad of his finger, and he remembers the way those lips caressed his last night.</p><p>Junhui kissed him and the emotions that flooded Minghao through their connected mouths was enough to pull him under and make him drown.</p><p>It had been years since he had admitted to himself that maybe he liked his best friend in a more romantic than platonic way, back when he was just 17 and both of them were still in the middle of puberty yet Junhui is already the most gorgeous person that Minghao had ever laid his eyes on.</p><p>(Not that he would outward tell Junhui what 17-year-old Minghao thought during that one day they walked back home from dance practice and the dark orange sky served as the background of Junhui’s frame, a bright smile on his face as he excitedly pulled Minghao along to the food fair they had passed by.)</p><p>Minghao looks at his best friend, takes in every part of him and commits it to memory, because no matter how much Minghao looked he just can’t get enough.</p><p>Then he sighs, decides to get up and make some breakfast from everyone, even if it is too tempting to just go back to sleep and bask in the warmth offered by Junhui’s arms wrapped around him.</p><p>He slips from under the covers, thankful that Junhui’s hold wasn’t too tight on his waist that he had to wrestle his way out. Then he heads to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth before making his way to the small kitchen and starting to take out ingredients to make breakfast for everyone.</p><p>Hansol was just leaving their own bedroom the same time that Minghao finished laying everything out on the counter, and the two shared a smile as they silently decided to prepare breakfast together, the two of them, moving around in harmony as they took out plates and pans and other utensils to use.</p><p>“I take it you had a great time last night,” Hansol comments as he turns on the stove and waits for it to heat up to pour the cooking oil.</p><p>Minghao can’t help the smile that appeared on his lips, which is an answer enough on its own but he decides that he can humour Hansol and tell a few tidbits of last night.</p><p>“We did,” he confirms, a delighted smile making its way on Hansol’s face. “Thanks for lending me the car keys, by the way.”</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Hansol replies proudly. He pours the oil while Minghao cuts open the plastic of bacon strips, then he lays it down on the counter to get four eggs from the fridge.</p><p>“You and Shua-hyung seemed to enjoy last night as well,” Minghao tells him when he returns to his side. Hansol laughs, his shoulders shaking slightly and a wider grin splitting his mouth open.</p><p>“We really, really did. I think Josh has like, some god of fortune or whatever on his side. We tried the poker table and he fucking won,” Hansol relayed excitedly.</p><p>“No way,” Minghao counters disbelievingly. Hansol faces him, his features animated and it amuses Minghao when he narrates the events of last night, from the point where they got separated from Minghao and Junhui until the part where Joshua pulled him on one of the poker tables and sat down, letting Hansol stand behind him and watch as he won without a drop of sweat, casually walking away with Hansol in tow and a pocket filled with a large sum of cash that they spent a part of in booking a lavish hotel suite.</p><p>“Sounds like a great time,” Minghao says with a giggle as Hansol relayed a story this time of when Joshua confidently downed ten shots of some strong alcohol concoction and Hansol felt like he was in third year college and falling in love with Joshua all over again.</p><p>“It really is,” Hansol agrees.</p><p>They continued cooking while sharing stories, Minghao telling Hansol about the beautiful woman whom he thought was hitting on Junhui so he strode up to them and declared he was Junhui’s husband, only for the woman to laugh and take no offense at the way he cut her off, and for Minghao to know that the woman actually has a girlfriend.</p><p>“Someone’s jealous,” Hansol pokes his cheek teasingly, making Minghao roll his eyes.</p><p>“Shut up, Hansol,” he softly bats the hand away as he starts plating the cooked strips of bacon and Hansol just laughs, starting to cook the rest of their food.</p><p>A few minutes and just when they were about to finish preparing, Joshua pads out of the bedroom, hair sticking out in all directions and fists rubbing at his eyes.</p><p>He throws a brief glance towards Minghao and Hansol, who both just watched as he moved to the living room and plopped down on the couch, on top of Junhui who just let out a groan at the sudden weight but didn’t bother to push Joshua off him. Instead, the two instantly fell asleep once again, wrapped up in each other’s warmth.</p><p>Minghao and Hansol just exchanged amused glances before finishing up, letting their husbands have a few more minutes of sleep before they woke them up to eat breakfast.</p><p>(Minghao internally screams at how adorable and small Junhui looks with the blankets wrapped around him while he gently coaxes him to wake up so they could eat and Junhui was just whining at him, a pout on his face which Minghao quickly kisses away resulting in Junhui’s content smile as he fully-opened his eyes.</p><p><em>Morning, Hao.</em>)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The drive back to Los Angeles was a bit more relaxed, with Hansol in charge of the wheel and Joshua sitting beside him on the passenger seat, taking charge of their road trip playlist while happily munching on his nuggets (that they got on a drive through along the way due to his and Junhui’s combined insistence and Minghao and Hansol’s inability to say no once faced with their husbands’ pouty lips and puppy eyes).</p><p>Beside him, Junhui is silently watching the scenery blur in indistinguishable shapes as they pass by. Since the sun is out and bright, as opposed to their drive on the way to Los Angeles, he decided to take in the sight that he missed as it was blanketed by darkness, which Minghao did as well instead of sleeping.</p><p>Junhui’s fingers are intertwined with his, resting on top of the older’s thigh and unconsciously rubbing soothing circles on the skin of Minghao’s hand.</p><p>He watches Junhui from the corner of his eyes, admiring the way the sun kissed his skin and highlights the gorgeous features of his face (which is, truth be told, the whole of Junhui’s face).</p><p>As if feeling Minghao’s eyes on him, Junhui turns his head and meets Minghao’s gaze. He smiles softly and is about to lean forward, in what Minghao expects and anticipates to be a kiss on the lips, but he seems to remember that they have an audience so he opted to just give him a kiss on the forehead, which frankly slightly disappointed Minghao.</p><p>Maybe it showed on Minghao’s face (his expressions are just too transparent sometimes, or Junhui just knows him too well) because Junhui laughs and pokes his lips, and from the front, Joshua lazily drawls, “Please, don’t hold back on our account.”</p><p>Hansol laughs and Junhui blushes and Minghao could feel the heat rising on his cheeks too. He meets Joshua’s eyes in the rearview mirror, the older giving him a knowing smirk before breaking the gaze and opting to change the song.</p><p>Junhui leans back on the headrest and goes back to watching the view outside the window, his thumb resuming its circular motions on Minghao’s skin.</p><p>Stevie Wonder’s voice flowed from the speakers, the gentle yet lively beat making Joshua and Hansol sway on their seats while singing along.</p><p>Junhui hums along the melody, tapping the fingers of his free hand against his thigh.</p><p>Minghao just watches him, doesn’t look away when Junhui looks at him again and starts belting the lyrics along with Joshua, grabbing his phone to use as a temporary mic.</p><p>Minghao giggles at the antics, thinks about how fitting the song is for Junhui and his role in Minghao’s life.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>You are the sunshine of my life, that’s why I’ll always be around. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Junhui looks at him— really looks at him with too much affection swimming in those dark chocolate brown eyes that Minghao loved so much, and he once again felt his heart squeeze so painfully good inside his chest.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I feel like this is the beginning, though I’ve loved you for a million years. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“So, what do you want to do once we’re back in LA?” Joshua asks when they stopped over for a bathroom break.</p><p>“Can we please get a whole day of rest?” Junhui requests while he stands beside Minghao, hooking his chin over the younger’s shoulder. The three of them are standing by the souvenir shop, waiting for Hansol to finish his business so they could go back on the road.</p><p>Joshua just laughs, “Oh dear, the only day off you’ll be getting is the day before you leave for Seoul but that wouldn’t be a day off really because you’ll be packing your stuff and Sofia wanted to have dinner with us before she flies back with the two of you.”</p><p>Junhui whines into Minghao’s shoulder while Minghao just chuckles at his husband’s cuteness, giving him a kiss on the temple before he could stop himself.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Once they were back in Los Angeles and in their temporary bedroom in the Hong-Chwe household, Minghao was immediately pulled in by Junhui for a kiss as soon as the door was shut.</p><p>He melts into his hold, dropping their duffel bag on the floor as he wraps his arms around Junhui’s neck and pulls him even closer, bodies now flushed against each other.</p><p>Minghao loved it.</p><p>The moment, however, was broken when Joshua knocked on the door and opened it, unfazed as he saw the two standing by the door and pressed closely together.</p><p>“Dinner’s ready,” he informs them, then he is gone as soon as he arrives.</p><p>Minghao groans while Junhui just laughs, pressing a kiss on his cheek, on the tip of his nose and finally, a lingering one on his lips before pulling Minghao along to the dining room where he sulkily sits on the chair like a child, much to Joshua’s amusement who playfully stuck out his tongue at him when he saw Minghao’s glare.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Junhui made it up to him after dinner and after getting ready for bed, the two of them cuddling under the covers and kissing for hours before they decided to go to sleep.</p><p>Minghao loved every moment of it, can't get enough of kissing Junhui that he dives in again and again when they pull back.</p><p>It just might be his new favorite thing.</p><p> </p><p>(Junhui whispers good night and delivers one last kiss on the side of his neck, the touch making Minghao sigh as he pressed his back against Junhui’s chest.)</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the days counting down to their final day in Los Angeles felt like living a dream.</p><p>Ever since Minghao realized and admitted to himself that he has romantic feelings for Junhui, there were some days that he thought of how it would be like if they’re officially boyfriends, if he was only as brave enough as Joshua who confessed to Hansol right after their college graduation.</p><p>Maybe Minghao wouldn't feel so on edge about Junhui knocking on his door and sitting him down on the couch with divorce papers in hand, asking for Minghao to sign them because he found someone else he truly loved.</p><p>But lately, Junhui had been a lot clingier— there were the good morning kisses (even though Minghao resisted because of their morning breaths, Junhui still finds ways to make Minghao effectively melt under his ministrations), the back hugs while Minghao takes over the cooking when Joshua and Hansol are both busy, and then walking around the block holding hands and uploading their “aesthetic couple pictures” (termed by Mingyu) on Instagram.</p><p>Now it was just him and Hansol in the house because Junhui and Joshua both went out just shortly after lunch time. Hansol was locked away in his studio to work on a new song commission while Minghao is in their temporary bedroom, lying on his stomach, ignoring their opened baggage on the floor, waiting to be packed and facetiming Mingyu.</p><p>“You’re such an idiot,” Mingyu says from across the screen, in response to Minghao’s rant about his relationship with Junhui. “You know it will actually make things easier if the two of you sat down and talked it out right?”</p><p>Minghao pouts because Mingyu is right, but he refuses to admit he is right at that moment, instead choosing to be petulant about it.</p><p>Mingyu sighs, turning the stove off and facing Minghao, “Hao, it’s been years. You really do need to tell Jun-hyung about your feelings. The sooner the better, especially now that you’re literally married to each other.”</p><p>Minghao puffed his cheeks and his shoulders sagged as he admitted defeat, “Alright. I’ll go talk to him when he’s back. He is out with Shua-hyung at the moment.”</p><p>Just then, there was a knock on the door, followed by Hansol’s voice, “Hyung, Josh and Jun-hyung are already back, but Josh and I are going out for a while to pick up Sofia.”</p><p>“Alright, take care! I’ll be out in a bit!” He shouted in response so Hansol could hear.</p><p>“Well, that was fast,” Mingyu comments, “Good luck, Hao.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Minghao feels his heartbeat quicken inside his chest at just the mere thought of talking to Junhui about an almost-decade long worth of feelings. “I gotta go.”</p><p>“Sure, talk to you later.”</p><p>The video chat ended, leaving Minghao in the silence of the room as he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself and stop his hands from shaking so much.</p><p>When he deemed himself alright and won’t have his knees give out below him from too much nervousness, he stands up from the bed and exits the bedroom.</p><p>He sees Junhui on the couch, leaning against his knees with his hands folded together, his thumbs pressing against his forehead.</p><p>On the coffee table lies a brown envelope that Minghao was 100% sure wasn’t there earlier before Junhui and Joshua left (he <em>knows</em>, Joshua always kept the coffee table clean and void of any clutter aside from the decorative piece of a vanilla-scented candle), and the sight of that plus Junhui’s anxious state doesn’t reassure Minghao in the slightest.</p><p>“Junnie?” He calls tentatively, making the older jerk violently, raising his head and looking at Minghao like a deer caught in the headlights.</p><p>“Minghao,” he breathes out, nervously fiddling with his fingers.</p><p>“What’s that?” Minghao gestures to the envelope on the table and Junhui reaches for it hesitantly, pulling his hand back to rest it on his lap and grip the material of his jeans in his fisted hands, before answering in the softest voice, “Divorce papers.”</p><p>Minghao feels his blood run cold and could almost hear the painful shattering of his heart from where it was lodged deep inside his ribcage.</p><p>He swallows the lump on his throat, croaking out an almost broken, “Oh.”</p><p>“Minghao,” Junhui tries to appease him but Minghao was leaning forward to pick up the envelope and take the papers out, his hand extending towards Junhui with an open palm, “Give me a pen.”</p><p>“Minghao, please.”</p><p>“I said give me a pen, Junhui. I am not asking the third time.”</p><p>Minghao refuses to look at Junhui, eyes stubbornly glued to the piece of paper that is the object of his nightmares and worries.</p><p>He feels the cold metal of Joshua’s fountain pain in his hand and he grips it tightly, then signs his name on the divorce papers, the action done almost robotically.</p><p>When he was finished, he just  tossed them on top of the coffee table as if it scorned him (which in some ways it really did), then turned on his heels without so much as a word, stomping his way back to the guest bedroom and ignoring Junhui calling his name.</p><p>He locks the door behind him and he buries himself under the comforter. He takes a deep breath, refusing to let his tears fall.</p><p>It was fucking stupid to let himself think that this arrangement would last. Maybe they should’ve just gotten a divorce right there and then when they found out they drunkenly got married instead of agreeing on this only to end up getting divorced right when they were about to go back to Seoul.</p><p>And Minghao thought they were doing so well too. Maybe he was just a fool in love trying to think and make more out of something that was just a product of a temporary arrangement.</p><p>Maybe Junhui was just humoring him all along, which he knows is something Junhui wouldn’t do because he had always been sincere and honest, but right now his emotions are overpowering his logic and he just doesn't really want to think.</p><p>“Minghao,” Junhui’s voice was muffled by the door and the wall, but Minghao could clearly hear his agonized tone.</p><p>He chooses to ignore it. Closing his eyes and finally, a tear slips down his cheek.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a fucking idiot,” Junhui declares on his phone call with the rest of his friends.</p><p>“That you are,” Soonyoung agrees immediately, followed by ten more heads bobbing in agreement.</p><p>After standing in front of the guest room door for about an hour without Minghao bothering to open up for him so they could talk, Junhui sighs defeatedly then heads back to the living room, plopping down on the couch and texting Wonwoo and Joshua that he is in fact, an idiot.</p><p>“Why did you go back again with an envelope of divorce papers again and wordlessly shoved it on Minghao’s face to sign?” Jeonghan asks, “Sorry, I was late so I only got the tail end of Junnie’s story.”</p><p>Junhui whines, “Hyung, I didn’t shove it into his face! I was really about to talk to him and explain why I came back with those but then he asked for a pen, and I quote ‘don’t make me ask the third time,’ and I literally got fucking scared.”</p><p>Mingyu snorts, ever the protective other best friend that Minghao has, “With all due respect hyung, you deserve that.”</p><p>“I know,” Junhui says forlornly. He still remembers the way Minghao’s careful, tentative expression turned into hurt and then into a cold and expressionless one that sent shivers down Junhui’s spine (in a bad way) and made his blood freeze inside his veins.</p><p>“I still don’t know what’s with the divorce papers. I thought you were getting along. Shua had sent me pictures. And everyone knows that there’s no way either you or Hao are faking everything. Plus you’re in love with him, Junhui. For almost 8 years now.”</p><p>“That’s the reason, hyung,” Junhui responds to ease Jeonghan’s confusion, “I love him, like a lot, and I wanted to do this the right way. I did it because if I marry him, I want to marry him because I asked him to marry me and he said yes and we are not drunk off our asses. I want him to experience all those sappy wine and dine stuff that couples do, the honeymoon phase, the bouquet of flowers and dancing in the middle of the street while it’s raining hard and anything else that could satisfy the romantic in him. And I know we could do it now, let the marriage be what it is since it’s already there. But it doesn’t exactly feel right. Not when I don’t actually remember half of what happened when we got married.”</p><p>“So, you’re saying. You want to divorce the drunk marriage,” Jeonghan repeats for clarification and Junhui nods to confirm it, “Confess your feelings,” another nod, “Court him with all those flowers and romantic stuff,” another nod, “then ask him to marry you and get married again,” another nod.</p><p>“Junhui,” Jeonghan sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “I am saying this with as much affection as I have, and I have a lot of those for all of you, but you’re an idiot.”</p><p>Junhui’s face falls.</p><p>“But I understand why you did that. It would’ve been easier if you maybe started with asking him to sit down and talk with you instead of outright telling him they were divorce papers. Of course he is going to assume the worst.”</p><p>“I know,” Junhui mutters, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.</p><p>“What do you plan to do now?” Jihoon asks him, an underlying gentleness in his voice. Junhui thinks that no one is really angry at him. It’s just that, they were all worried about Minghao, and about Junhui himself.</p><p>“I’d talk to him, but he really wouldn’t open the door for me,” Junhui replies.</p><p>“He’s been crying since a while ago,” Mingyu informs them, “Just don’t tell him I said that. He just got off from our Skype phone call.”</p><p>Junhui’s heart aches at the knowledge and he leans back on the couch with a groan, rubbing his hand down his face.</p><p>Here he was going on and on about doing right by Minghao when he had already messed up on the get go.</p><p><em>Way to go, Junhui</em>, he internally berates himself.</p><p>“Junnie, I have an idea,” Joshua pipes up, all the attention turning towards him, “If Minghao really won’t open up for you, you can use the studio. Hansol wouldn’t mind, right?”</p><p>“Not at all,” Hansol assures Junhui, “I left it open before I left. You can just enter, hyung.”</p><p>Junhui nods slowly, “Alright. Then?”</p><p>“There is a speaker in each room that is connected to the studio, so sometimes when Hansol wants me to hear a song he is making and I’m in the kitchen cooking dinner or whatever, he just plays it there and I can listen wherever part of the house I’m in,” Joshua explains.</p><p>“That’s also the reason behind how Shua was able to get me to wake up so fucking early when Cheol and I are staying over at their house,” Jeonghan adds on unamused as he glared at the culprit through the screen, said culprit just smiling widely at him.</p><p>“You can use that. There’s also a microphone there. You know how to operate everything right?” Joshua asks him for good measure. Junhui nods, “Yeah, I’m familiar with the functions.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>The others sent him more encouraging cheers and it makes Junhui smile a little, the weight in his chest slightly lifting at the words he received from his friends.</p><p>“You can do this, Junhui,” Wonwoo says before he ends the group call, the others going on ahead of him, “No one can love him like you do.”</p><p>The side of Junhui’s lips curl up in a smile, “Thank you, Won.”</p><p>Wonwoo nods at him, “I believe in you,” then his face is gone and Junhui was left staring at his reflection on the black screen.</p><p>He takes a deep, calming breath. Then another. And another.</p><p>Then he stands up and makes his way to Hansol's studio, looking around the average-sized, comfortable-looking space that Hansol spends most of his time in.</p><p>He touches the controls carefully, familiarizing himself with the buttons and once he is sure which is which, he inhales deeply then lets out an exhale.</p><p> </p><p>Then he presses the red button.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Minghao’s eyes hurt from crying too much and the skin around feels raw from being rubbed by the fabric of his knitted sweater.</p><p>There were also crumpled tissue papers beside him that he hadn’t disposed of yet plus he is feeling a bit parched from all the crying he had done, but he doesn’t feel up to moving, wanting to just lie down until the late hours into the evening.</p><p>But he has to pack, their flight is tomorrow and they need to go back if they don’t want the plane to leave them and consequently book another, more expensive ticket.</p><p>After a few minutes of staring at a blank spot on the ceiling and debating on whether he should get up or not to pack his things (which only ended up with him replaying the scene with Junhui and the divorce papers and his eyes tearing up once again), he rolls off the bed and crawls over to where his luggage is lying open on the floor.</p><p>He was just about to pick up one of Junhui’s track pants so he could fold it neatly and stuff it inside the bag when he hears the loud echo of a microphone from the speaker, the high-pitched sound hurting his ear and making him wince a little.</p><p>Then, he hears Junhui’s voice and it makes him halt his movements.</p><p>“Minghao.”</p><p>“Hey. I know what I probably did was an asshole move,” he starts off, making Minghao snort because yeah, it was an asshole move on Junhui’s part, but he decides to listen to the rest of what he was about to say.</p><p>“And I probably should’ve started off with telling you I want to talk about us, instead of like, shoving the fact that I have divorce papers with me and making you feel bad about everything. When in fact you did nothing wrong, Hao. You're literally the best person I know, and that’s not just because you’re my best friend— well partly yeah, but aside from that, you are not just knowledgeable in a lot of fields, you excel in them too, especially in those that you are passionate about. You are kind and you are caring. You love dogs more than cats, but that’s okay, maybe we can have both in that dream house you’ve always imagined. You have a massive frog collection. Your giggles are downright the most adorable sound I’ve heard. You make everything you wear look so fashionable no matter how simple they may be. You love to take photos and stick the best ones on your walls. Your eyes sparkle with interest every time we visit the museum and I love it, visiting museums with you and corner bookstores. Or just sitting in a coffee shop with you while you read and I play my phone games. Or hanging out on the rooftop of our apartment building drinking cheap wine or lying down on the lawn back in your house in Anshan with the fake Bermuda grass digging into our skins. I love every moment with you, Hao, and when I told you I’d go anywhere with you, I meant it.”</p><p>Minghao hangs onto every word that falls from Junhui’s lips, feeling his heart race and his eyes burn with unshed tears. The urge to cry is strong, but this time it is for entirely different reasons.</p><p>He hears Junhui take a deep breath, and unconsciously, he does the same as he waits for the continuation of what he is about to say.</p><p>“Minghao, I really do want to get married with you. And spend the rest of our lives together. I’m hell-bent on making true on that promise. But,”</p><p>“Well, we were drunk that night. While it doesn’t change how I feel about you, at this point I don’t think there is anything that could change how I feel about you really, the fact that we were intoxicated when it happened doesn’t entirely sit well with me. And yes, we agreed to let it just stay the way it is because it’s already done, but still, I wanted to do right by you. I wanted to be the one to buy you our engagement ring and kneel down in front of you to ask your hand in marriage while there are scattered roses around us. I want to remember everything, Hao. I want to see your smile and commit it to memory when we exchange our vows.”</p><p>“I wanted to explain that to you. I’m not going to run away, Hao. I’m in this with you for the long run. I just wanted to do right by you because you deserve it and everything else that’s good in this world.”</p><p>“When you told me you love me the night we shared our first kiss, it made me think deeply about things and reconsider if this is the right way to go, for both of us.”</p><p>“So I made the decision, but it was very wrong of me to make it on my own. We’re a pair now, and I should’ve talked to you first instead of running off on my own without telling you what I plan to do.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Hao. I really am.”</p><p>Junhui stops talking for a while, which made Minghao think if he was already done. But then he chuckles breathlessly, but he was also crying based on the sounds of sniffles that Minghao could hear. He wasn’t much better himself really, a new wave of tears flowing down his face.</p><p>“Now that I basically poured my heart out, I just want to say what I’ve always been wanting to say to you for like the past 8 years.”</p><p> </p><p>“Xu Minghao,”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m in love with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And ever since, there had been nobody else for me but you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s always been you, Hao. Always will be.”</p><p> </p><p>Minghao doesn’t think twice about getting on his feet and pulling the door open, strides large as he quickly makes his way to Hansol’s studio.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Junhui turns the microphone off and wipes his sweaty hands on his pants, exhaling heavily as he blinks the tears away.</p><p>He had finally explained and said what he wanted to say, and he hoped the sincerity of his words would go through Minghao.</p><p>Now he waits.</p><p>He looks around the studio once more and saw the keyboard sitting by the side, so he stands up and makes his way over, deciding to just stay here for a while instead of lounging on the couch in the living room.</p><p>Besides, he kind of misses playing the keyboard and it’s been a while, so why not?</p><p>He removed the cover and was just about to turn it on when the door to the studio burst open, making Junhui jump and almost shriek from the shock.</p><p>Minghao stands in the doorway, chest heaving and watery, red-rimmed eyes glaring at him. His hair is a mess and there are dried tear tracks on his cheeks but Junhui still thinks he is the most beautiful person in the whole universe, even if he currently feels largely intimidated by the younger.</p><p>“Wen Junhui,” Minghao says through gritted teeth, and Junhui doesn’t know whether that was from withheld anger or tears, but he chose not to say anything, standing there and waiting for Minghao to finish.</p><p>But instead of words, Minghao strides over to him in three large steps and wraps his arms around him, face buried on his shoulder.</p><p>While it was something that Junhui prefers a lot more than a fight, and something he greatly appreciates, he is still rather confused as to why Minghao is crying while hugging him, fully expecting the other to confront him and give him a piece of his mind.</p><p>But instead, Minghao is in his arms, hugging him tightly and Junhui places his own around Minghao’s frame tentatively.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Minghao whispers, his voice a bit muffled from where his lips are pressed against Junhui’s shoulder.</p><p>“I should’ve heard you out before jumping to conclusions and expecting the worst. I should've just waited for you to explain.”</p><p>Junhui shushes him gently and holds the back of Minghao’s head in his hand, softly running his thumb back and forth on his scalp to calm him down.</p><p>“It’s okay, I can’t really blame you for the way you reacted. I would’ve probably done the same.”</p><p>“I don’t want you gone,” Minghao whispers, raw and vulnerable in Junhui’s arms.</p><p>“I’m not going anywhere, Hao. I mean it when I said that you’re stuck with me,” Junhui presses a kiss on the side of Minghao’s head, “You have me for as long as you want me.”</p><p>“What if I want to have you forever?”</p><p>“Then you’ll have me forever.”</p><p>Junhui feels Minghao sag in relief in his arms, “Good.”</p><p>“And Junhui?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“I’m in love with you, too.”</p><p>Junhui chuckles and pulls back from the hug, cupping Minghao’s face in his palms and wiping away his tears with both of his thumbs.</p><p>“I know, baby,” he leans forward and presses their foreheads together, “I know.”</p><p>Minghao was the one who closed the gap this time, a content sigh falling from his lips as Junhui pulled him closer by the waist.</p><p>“I love you,” Junhui whispers against his lips making Minghao shake in his arms with giddy laughter.</p><p>“I love you too, Junhui.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>“So, are you my boyfriend now?” Junhui asks him as they both lay down side by side on their bed, Junhui playing with Minghao’s fingers.</p><p>After the whole debacle in the studio, they went to the kitchen to drink some water before retiring into the guest room and lying down on the bed, a few minutes spent kissing and then the rest, just basking in the company of each other.</p><p> </p><p>(Their luggages are ignored once again, packing pushed for later and they're going to be so short on time getting everything organized at this point.)</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I would hope so, yes,” Minghao answers, pillowing his head on his free arm.</p><p>“Okay, good. Will you marry me?”</p><p>“I thought you wanted to buy me a ring?” Minghao turns his head slightly to look at him, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.</p><p>“I do, yeah. But I still wanted to ask you now.”</p><p>“I will, Junhui,” Minghao’s voice was soft, laced with unhindered affection. It makes Junhui smile.</p><p>“I’m expecting the romantic proposal that you’ve been talking about, though,” Minghao adds at the end, Junhui’s smile turning into a laugh.</p><p>“Of course. I’m going to give you the grandest fairytale-like proposal ever!” Junhui declares enthusiastically, his mind already going on tangents about the things he could come up with for a proposal.</p><p>Minghao giggles, shaking his head fondly. The smile stays on Minghao’s lips, and his eyes are sparkling with happiness, his whole body relaxed against Junhui’s side.</p><p>It makes Junhui happy too, seeing Minghao look so content like this.</p><p>They were silent for a while, Junhui turning to face Minghao and wrapping his limbs around him, burying his face into the crook of his neck.</p><p>Minghao huffs out an amused laugh, bringing a hand up to card his fingers through the strands of Junhui’s hair, telling him that he looks like an overgrown cat.</p><p>Junhui doesn’t bother with a response, just nuzzles his face on Minghao’s neck instead.</p><p>The fingers playing with his hair started to slow down and Junhui could feel Minghao’s breath evening out, signaling that he was about to fall asleep.</p><p>“Hey Hao?” he calls, not moving away from his position. Minghao just hums sleepily.</p><p>“I think you’d really look great in the traditional red wedding robes,” Junhui pipes up thoughtfully, making Minghao hit him lightly on the arm.</p><p>Junhui feels the skin beneath his cheeks heat up and he stifles a giggle, hearing Minghao groan from above him, “We’ll talk about that once we go back to visit our families in China.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>As per their plans that evening, Sofia came knocking on their door after about an hour, startling Minghao and Junhui from their short nap. Junhui didn’t realize that he, too, had fallen asleep.</p><p>He disentangles himself from Minghao, much to the younger's displeasure, and opens the door, met with a beaming Sofia who looks around him to see Minghao.</p><p>“Well, I take it that everything’s good now between the two of you,” Junhui raises an eyebrow, wordlessly asking how she knew.</p><p>“Hansol gave me the gist of what happened which was why it took us a while to go home. Josh took me shopping,” she answers excitedly. Junhui internally thanks Joshua and Hansol for letting him take the time he needs to talk to Minghao, and it seems like the three had enjoyed the company of each other, even if the whole shopping thing was a last-minute affair.</p><p>Junhui places his hand on top of Sofia’s head and ruffles her hair, making her squeal as she tries to get away. She had really grown taller and more mature yet she is still their friend group’s resident baby sister.</p><p>“Come on, Hansol and Josh said we’re going to have late dinner and then games or movie night, whichever,” she runs back to the kitchen, where Hansol and Josh were presumably at, while Junhui goes back to the bed to get Minghao out from under the covers.</p><p>“I look like shit,” Minghao deadpans, hiding half of his face under the comforter.</p><p>“You look inexplicably gorgeous,” Junhui counters factually, earning himself an unamused look from Minghao which made him chuckle as he leans down and kisses him on the tip of his nose.</p><p>Junhui’s going to have to get the hang of kissing Minghao whenever he likes to (screams), and it is increasingly proving to be a favorite.</p><p>“You’re such a sap,” Minghao rolls his eyes but gets the blanket off and kisses Junhui, much to Junhui’s delight, then pulls him out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Their flight was late in the evening the next day, and thankfully, they were able to finish packing on time, with a few hours to spare before they had to head to the airport.</p><p>Their friends from Seoul already knew about their reconciliation and official boyfriend slash married status (because the divorce didn’t really push through, Junhui ended up tearing the papers and throwing it away), and they all earned exasperated groans of “<em>finally, after all these years,</em>” and excitable and sincere cheers and wishes of “<em>We’re happy for you!</em>”</p><p>“So, like, does Hao-ge get to design the clothes you will be wearing in the wedding?” Sofia asks as they lined up on the check-in counter.</p><p>“Haohao gets to design whatever he wants to design,” Junhui replies proudly, draping himself over Minghao’s back, the younger busy fiddling with his phone.</p><p>“You’re so whipped, Junnie,” Joshua comments beside them, shaking his head fondly. Junhui just shrugs, not denying the statement, because he is, in fact and in all truths of this world, truly whipped and head-over-heels in love with Xu Minghao.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>They arrived at 5 in the morning back in Seoul, and it was easy for them to spot their friends in the crowd of people waiting by the arrivals, first because they are a large group consisting of nine people plus the Chwe couple, and second because they are loud and rowdy and they are carrying two designed banners saying, <em>“Welcome home!”</em> and <em>“Congratulations to the newly-wed!”</em></p><p>It made Minghao sigh deeply as he rubs his temples with his thumb and forefinger, “Isn’t it too early in the morning for this?”</p><p>Junhui just laughs, pushing the cart excitedly as he heads over to his friends, Minghao and Sofia trailing behind him at a much calmer pace.</p><p>Seungkwan, Hoshi and Seokmin were the first ones to pull him into a hug, the three of them jumping with their arms around each other.</p><p>Then Mingyu and Jeonghan add to the pile, then Seungcheol, then along the lines, Minghao and the rest of their friends are also pulled along in the huddle, as well as Sofia and her parents.</p><p>Once they calmed down, Wonwoo stands beside Junhui and puts an arm around him, “I’d hit you at the back of the head right now for the stunt that you pulled, but I’m really, really happy for the two of you.”</p><p>“Thanks, Won. For everything. I mean it,” Junhui expresses sincerely. Wonwoo merely squeezes his shoulder in response.</p><p>In front of them, Minghao is talking with Mingyu and Seokmin, the three of them glancing at Junhui every now and then. Mingyu throws in a smile, reassuring Junhui that he isn’t angry at all, and Seokmin would just wave at them before going back to his small huddle with his age group trio.</p><p>When they were done talking, the two sandwiches Minghao in a hug, the youngest of the three resigning to his fate and lightly patting them on their backs.</p><p>“So, does everyone want to have breakfast?” Seungkwan asked, clapping his hands to gather everyone’s attention.</p><p>“As long as you pay, then sure,” Chan answers. Soonyoung turns to him with a hand ready for a high-five, which Chan graciously gave to him.</p><p>Seungkwan’s shoulder sags in defeat and he relents, “Fine,” making Soonyoung and Seokmin whoop loudly, earning themselves weird looks from the onlookers which they didn’t bother to care about. The duo started walking ahead of everyone towards the parking lot, jointly pushing Junhui’s cart while the rest of the group walked at a leisurely pace.</p><p>Junhui finds his way back to Minghao’s side, their hands clasping almost automatically. He feels Minghao squeeze his hand gently, the younger subtly looking around them and when he notices that their friends are kind of occupied with debating where to eat, he leans up and kisses Junhui on the cheek.</p><p>A quick moment, but it serves to make Junhui lower his head to hide his flustered grin.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u"> <em>Flashback</em> </span> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u"> <em>8 years ago, University days.</em> </span> </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It was the grueling last day of exams and normally, all of them would be out and about, celebrating and partying with slightly expensive alcoholic concoctions in their hands, getting black-out drunk yet not quite preparing themselves for a nasty hangover the next morning. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tonight, however, the whole group elected to stay in because they are physically and mentally tired to even think about going in a crowded place and socialize with a lot of people they don’t even know the names of. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Still, they wanted to celebrate, and it was Mingyu’s idea, that they just have a video chat get together so they can still drink cheap beer (that they snuck in the dorms the weekend before the exams) and still feel like they are in each other’s company without having to take even a step out of their respective dorm rooms. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui’s phone was propped up with a cat griptok (a very worthy purr-chase, he tells Minghao with a laugh, getting an unamused look in return for the lame pun) on the coffee table, while Junhui himself leans against the couch with Minghao sitting beside him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Empty beer cans were haphazardly placed on the floor along with opened bags of chips and there was also a pack of chocolate cookies that Junhui bought in the convenience store just because he was craving.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And of course, spicy ramen. Which he just finished eating, the now-empty cup sitting next to the tv remote. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seungkwan was ranting about his Chemistry Exam earlier that day, claiming that “Some items that they told us to study about are not even there then they had the audacity to place topics that they didn’t even cover in the lesson plan.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everyone sympathizes with him, there are always those kinds of professors really, and Hansol, who was sitting next to Seungkwan in their shared dorm, pats his friend’s back to comfort him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When it was getting late and everyone was either tipsy or well on their way in getting drunk (how they snuck in that many cans of alcohol is a mystery, especially with someone like Kun and Doyoung as their dorm RA), Junhui taps Minghao’s thigh repeatedly, calling his attention. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey Hao,” he drawls, his head swimming with dizziness at the amount of beer intake he already had. Minghao simply acknowledges him with a hum, his head pillowed on Junhui’s shoulder and feeling comfortable pressed against his side, the two of them cuddled up (like they usually are) with the voice of a jazz singer crooning in the background. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I have a proposition for you,” Junhui’s mouth is loose and he randomly spits out whatever he thinks of, even more when he’s under the influence of alcohol, and at that moment, he seemed to forget that they were in a video call with their friends and everyone stopped talking (arguing in the case of Jeonghan and Joshua) in favor of listening to what Junhui is about to say. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So like, we don’t really go out and date other people right?” Junhui starts off, Minghao just responds with a hum and a single nod of his head. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If we’re still single by 30, let’s just get married. You and me,” he confidently says, not noticing Mingyu’s and Wonwoo’s mouths gaping with shock, Seokmin and Soonyoung trying their hardest not to squeal, Jeonghan, Joshua and Jihoon all looking amused at the development. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay,” Minghao agrees.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay?” Junhui repeats, just for confirmation, and Minghao nods again, his hair brushing against Junhui’s cheek, “Okay.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay,” Junhui smiles. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then Minghao suddenly stands up, stumbling a little so Junhui sat up attentively, ready to catch Minghao in case he falls but thankfully he didn’t. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He goes inside his room, Junhui looking at where he disappeared to with his forehead creased, wondering what Minghao is up to. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When he reappears and returns to Junhui’s side, he is holding a red string. Then he takes Junhui’s left hand and ties one end of the string on Junhui’s pinky finger, then the other end on his own. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“This seals that promise,” Minghao tells him, his gaze unwavering and Junhui chuckles, leans forward to kiss his best friend on the forehead, feeling all fond and warm and giddy and a lot more that he can’t seem to identify at that moment. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re so adorable, Haohao~” he coos, cupping Minghao’s cheek and pulling slightly at the skin. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Shut up, Junhui.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui giggles and leans back on the couch once again, Minghao returning to his comfortable place beside him, head pillowed on his shoulder and legs thrown over Junhui’s thighs. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui takes Minghao’s hand in his, squeezes it gently, and whispers, “Even without the red string, I’m going to make true on that promise.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> <em>Flashback</em> </strong> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> <em>The night of the wedding, Hong-Chwe Bachelor's Party</em> </strong> </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere between bottles of soju and cans of beer and lyrics belted out in the wrong tune, Junhui successfully pulls Minghao off the couch for a duet. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jihoon chooses the song, and because it’s Jihoon and he’s an excitable drunk and he loves Bruno Mars (those three things are entirely not related to each other but in a way, they kind of are), he punches in “Marry You” and then stands beside Soonyoung, Seungkwan and Seokmin who are now preparing themselves to dance to the song.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The upbeat song starts playing and everyone in the room starts bobbing their heads along. Junhui was already dancing where he stands, getting pumped up and excited, the alcohol in his veins increasing the rush of adrenaline. Minghao is a lot calmer, but a few lines in the song and with the overall above-the-ceiling energy level inside the house, he can’t help but be caught in their wave. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui turns to Minghao and points at him, “Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you,” and then he gives a flirty wink that made Minghao roll his eyes, a wide smile on his lips as he started singing next. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>At the bridge of the song, everyone is singing along, some of them (Soonyoung and Seokmin) shouting the lyrics enthusiastically (JUST SAY I DOOOOOOOO~ OOOHHH~). Joshua is content sitting on Hansol’s lap, swaying to the music. Jeonghan, Mingyu and Chan are standing up and dancing, the youngest of the three even procuring out a tambourine that he shakes in his hand. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seungkwan, Soonyoung and Seokmin are doing some kind of dance step where they kick their feet up in the air, alternatively left and then right and then left again, and it was truly amazing how synchronized they are despite their drunkenness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui is holding Minghao’s hand in his, their arms swinging in between them until they started doing some ballroom dance steps in the flurry of excitement that filled the house. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Junhui turns Minghao around, the other boy giggly as he carefully maneuvered himself so he wouldn't trip on the bottles scattered on the floor. Then they stretched to the side and Junhui pulled Minghao in, the two of them ending the song with Minghao wrapped in Junhui’s arm, his back against the older’s chest, Junhui’s chin hooked on his shoulder. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When the song fades out into a finish, everyone claps and whoops loudly, then Junhui kisses Minghao on the cheek. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>In a sudden surge of confidence, Minghao raises the microphone back to his mouth, “Wen Junhui, marry me.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The answer was an instant, “Yes!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then Mingyu and Chan were out of the door because, “Oh my god, we need the rings!” while Jeonghan coos because, “Cheol~ they’re so cuuute~” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Soonyoung is an emotional mess, crying because, “Junnie is all grown-up and ready to move out to his new house with his soon-to-be husband. Jihoon, what are we going to do!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joshua watched everything with thinly veiled amusement, phone camera at the ready in case someone does something really funny and embarrassing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once they’re sure there is someone who can do the wedding ceremony at an hour past midnight (thank Sofia, who enthusiastically helped them find one), they were all out of the house, Seungcheol and Wonwoo trying to get them not to be too rowdy but Soonyoung exclaims loudly that, “Cheol, it’s my best friend’s wedding of course I’m excited!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mingyu and Chan meet them along the way, out of breath but beaming widely as Mingyu produces two matching gold bands. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>When they reached the park where they agreed to hold the impromptu wedding, the officiator exasperatedly sighs at the sight of a group of drunken men who thought it was a good idea to suddenly get married. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Still, he does his job, trying to be patient with these men (who are more like teenagers, honestly), and the sooner he starts, the faster he can get it done and get some sleep. After all, taking care of a group of drunk men isn’t really part of his job description. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was brief, only the most important parts done, yet when the officiator asks them to exchange their vows, somehow even in the drunken haze evident in their eyes, he could still feel the sincerity and overwhelming affection that the two have for each other. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Maybe they won’t regret it in the morning, after all,’ he thinks as the rings were exchanged and he pronounces them as husbands and the taller one leans down to sweetly kiss the shorter one on the tip of the nose. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Donning their traditional red wedding robes (which their mothers had excitedly had them fit and made the moment they announced their marriage), Junhui and Minghao kneel down together in front of the Xu family altar.</p><p>They lit the incense first, and then they started to pay their respects— kowtowing once, <em>to the Heavens, </em>twice, <em>to their ancestors,</em> and thrice, <em>to each other. </em></p><p>Then they stayed for a little while to pray before they left, their union now blessed with the grace of the Heavens and their ancestors.</p><p>They slowly and quietly made their way down the hill, careful not to trip on their robes.</p><p>“Thank you for doing this with me,” Junhui says after a short moment. Minghao huffs, “You make it sound like I was just obligated to do this. I’m not. It’s the fourth time I said yes to you, Junhui and I’m pretty sure I’m going to say yes even if you ask for the fifth or tenth time.”</p><p>Junhui just chuckles, stops on his tracks when they reach the bottom of the stairs and with his hold on Minghao’s hand, the younger stops too, looking at him questioningly.</p><p>“I love you,” Junhui tells him with a soft smile, love and adoration evident in the way he said it and in the way he looked at Minghao, his other hand raising to brush a stray black strand that fell across Minghao’s eyes.</p><p>Minghao leans forward to kiss him, just a simple and chaste yet lingering press of their lips, “I love you too Junhui.”</p><p>They continued the walk back to Minghao’s house, where their families gathered and waited along with their friends who all flew in from Seoul and Los Angeles to finally celebrate their marriage, for real this time, no more drunken antics and brown envelopes filled with divorce papers to sign.</p><p>Just Minghao and Junhui, and a whole new future ahead of them that they can’t wait to spend together.</p><p>Their clasped hands sway in between them as they walk, and on their pinky fingers, a red string connects them together— a symbol of the promise they once made to each other, and now a symbol of their forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The ending was basically me remembering MDZS out of the blue (im having lots of thoughts about Junhao MXTX novels au but im reserving that for another time uwu) and then the traditional wedding was born. I just thought I'd share that with all of you.</p><p>Thank you for reading until the end! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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